Uzumaki Clan's Rebirth
by G3rMan
Summary: Naruto has gained knowledge of his heritage, and of a bloodline thought extinct. He must now leave Konoha to master his new abilities and bring back the glory of the Uzumaki, and he will have the help of a busty kage with a similar past. NaruxMei
1. Time to Leave, The Start of a Destiny!

Uzumaki Clan's Rebirth

Chapter 1

Time to Leave, The Start of a Destiny!

**Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO!**

"speaking"

_'thinking'_

"**Jutsu**"

**"Tailed Beast Speak"**

NaruxMei

**BLOODLINE WARNING**: Naruto uses **Lava** and **Boil** Release in this story. He has three elements in total because of his blood limit, Fire, Water, and Earth.

**PERSONALITY WARNING**: Naruto is going to be different in this, I always hated his 'go-lucky, happy, thick-headed' attitude so he will be a bit more serious in this fiction. Sorry if that isn't what you wanted :(.

**NON-CANON AGE WARNING:** Last warning, Naruto is 14 and Mei is 26. I felt that having their ages a little closer might help, and their cosmetic looks won't be hindered or changed because of the slight age change anyway. They will still look and act (relatively) the same.

* * *

"I refuse." Naruto announced to a slack-jawed Jiraiya.

"What..what do you mean you 'refuse'?!"

"I'm not going training with you, I have other things to do." Naruto explained to the Sage, he refused to go on the two year training trip.

He had other things to do then waste his time with this pervert, he had to learn how to control _it_, he had to learn how to harness _it._ If he could do that, then he would make his mother, the Uzumaki clan, and the lost Whirlpool country proud, and he _would_ do it.

"How can you have better things to do than train with The Toad Sage of Konoha!?" Naruto shrugged, this guy could get on someone's nerves.

"I said no, goodbye Jiraiya." Naruto jumped off the roof of the Hokage building, leaving behind a shocked toad man.

Naruto ran through the streets and saw the looks of disgust and hatred that most villagers directed at him. He ignored them, as far as he was concerned, Konoha was dead to him. They never did anything for him, even when he tried so hard to earn their respect, all they did was spit on him.

_'Not for much longer though..'_

Naruto arrived home and got out of the orange jumpsuit that had begun to make him cringe at the very sight of it. Sure, he liked orange and all, but not a full jumpsuit of it, he needed something else, luckily he already found something. Naruto walked into his bedroom and looked around, everything seemed so plain, so normal. He smirked, looks could always be deceiving.

From the door, he walked to the center of the room and knelt down to what appeared to be just another wooden plank in the floorboard. He cut his finger and pressed it onto the wood, it lit up the darkened room for a few seconds before an unlatching sound could be heard and Naruto moved the plank out of the way. Inside of the small opening was a box, or a bunch of smaller boxes that Naruto had only looked at a few times before, but today, he would look through each.

He reached down and picked each of them out one at a time, in a way he felt like a kid getting christmas presents. The only thing he had actually opened before was the letter on top of the first box, and Naruto thought to reread it before beginning. The letter was worn from age, but it held the definite Uzumaki seal, the seal of his mother's clan. He opened the letter again and read each word slowly and carefully, making sure he understood what his mother was telling him before delving any deeper into his clan's past.

_'Naruto, if you are reading this message, then I am dead. We asked the Third if he would give you this apartment specifically when you could live on your own, so I know that you will find this letter someday. I am your mother, Uzumaki Kushina, and I have some things to tell you that will affect your future and possibly change your outlook on a few things._

_First, you hold the Kyuubi inside of you, you are it's jailer, it's keeper. You are a hero Naruto, no matter what anyone tells you, it is because of you that Konoha still stands today. I have disagreed with your father on whether to seal him inside of you or not, but in the end, it was too late for any other choice. I also disagreed with the Third when he said that you should never be told of the Kyuubi, for how can you stop him if you don't know he exists? I love you Naruto, and so does your father, we know that you are not the demon and that you never will be._

_My clan, our clan, the Uzumaki's are an old clan of Whirlpool country, a small but powerful country indeed. The Uzumaki were the village leaders and most if not all of the citizens were from a branch family of our own. Branch families still held their original family name, but took up the Uzumaki lineage as we we were often at war with Kirigakure for land rights, and I grew up in the conflict. _

_Our people have a strong bloodline, one that awakens near adolescence, it will give you power that many have never seen, but you must learn to control it. _

_Kiri took in many refugees when our country was disbanded, if you wish to learn from a true Uzumaki, look there first. Be warned though, if you find a branch family member, they might not take kindly to a 'pureblood' such as yourself Naruto. While we never openly discriminated against them, many of the original Uzumaki held disdain for the lower families, seeing them as 'pretenders'. _

_Only true Uzumaki awaken our bloodline, and rarely would it have been able to be taught to lower families. Look for someone that has the common traits of an Uzumaki or can use our bloodline, then and only then will you find a fellow survivor. Most of our clan's women had red hair like my own, and the men generally had brown or red hair as well. I doubt appearances will be helpful so look out for people who use our bloodline, the Lava and Boil release. You will know Naruto, I believe in you._

_I left for Konoha looking for peace and I found it along with your father. He can be a baka but I still love him, and I always will. _

_Naruto, I'm going to finish this letter now, I hope you can read all of it, I had to write fast. The doctors tell me it won't be long now, but I had to finish this one last message to you. No matter what happens Naruto, I know that you will us proud, whether it be in Konoha or elsewhere. I left a few parting gifts as did your father, you should find them in the boxes. Good luck Naruto-kun, I know that you will become the greatest shinobi.'_

Naruto read through the message with a sad smile on his face, knowing that this was his mother's final goodbye to him. His father was unable to write anything to him, but he understood the position the man was in. He set the letter down and opened the first box, slowly to surprise himself. He was utterly shocked at what he found.

He took out the first thing in the container and examined it closely, it was a ninja headband. The peculiar thing was that it did not hold the Konoha symbol, instead it held the Uzumaki swirl and the fabric was red.

_'Must have been my mother's, she was a kunoichi of the Whirlpool village.'_

It held what must have been Kushina's battle outfit, a red robe-like uniform that would cover only her torso, their appeared to be pink short shorts there as well (Fuka's uniform from Shippuden Filler Arc). Naruto blushed at the thought of a woman in this uniform and quickly set it aside, neatly folded as to not disturb it too much. He found a note on the uniform and read it.

_'Naruto-kun, this was my Whirlpool kunoichi outfit. It is a bit provocative but it got the job done, maybe you can find a nice little Uzumaki girl and give this as a present of the old times.'_

Naruto blushed at the thought of finding another Uzumaki, especially a girl no less. He set the note down and grabbed what appeared to be another set of clothes, but he was unprepared for what they could be. They were a set of clothes for him apparently, since they were too small to be his mother's.

The shirt was a long sleeved shirt that was almost entirely black except for the Uzumaki swirl that covered his abs and on the top back as well. The pants were black in color and reached down to his ankles and the ninja sandals were a red color.

_'My mom's clan must have really liked the color red.'_

Naruto put on all of the clothes and even placed the Uzugakure headband on his forehead, they were all very form fitting. He looked in the mirror and saw what could very well be the look of an Uzu genin. Naruto found a note at the bottom of the small clothing box and pulled it out to read.

_'Naruto, this is the male Uzumaki clan uniform, all the genin boys would wear this. Girl uniforms were just smaller versions of what my outfit looks like, Uzugakure enjoyed having a uniformed shinobi force. I didn't understand it either, did make us look pretty professional though.'_

Naruto thought about the new look as he observed himself. It didn't have any orange, but it was an old uniform of Uzugakure, and the colors were not all bad. He could get used to wearing it, and he especially liked the headband.

"Time for the next box."

Naruto picked up a small box and found himself face to face with five medium sized scrolls in it. Each one had kanji writing on it and intricate art designs to denote it's contents. The first had 'Lava' written on it and had a design of flames all over it. The second contained 'Boil' and had water and mist drawn on. Below these two scrolls, there was the final three scrolls that were lined up with each other in a specific order, 'Fire' was between the the two blood line elements while 'Water' was beneath the 'Boil' and 'Earth' was beneath 'Lava'. There was another note from his mother describing the contents of the box.

_'Naruto, our bloodline allows you to use three nature elements in different combination to create two rare elements most have never even heard of before. Your first step should be to learn about the three basic elements that you have an affinity to, Earth, Fire, and Water. _

_Upon understanding how to manipulate each of these elements, your bloodline will allow you to mold the chakra simultaneously to create Lava or Boil. Fire and Earth are combined for Lava and Water and Fire are combined for Boil, you will notice that Fire is integral to know because you need it for both of the special elements.'_

Naruto smiled, this was the Uzumaki heritage, the defining factor of why the Uzumaki clan was unique. Naruto knew that he had to continue this line, and he refused to take up his father's name because of his devotion to Whirlpool. He did not hate his father, but he knew the Namikaze clan was no more and he would only gain enemies if he was to become the last 'Namikaze', so he would stay Uzumaki and make a difference, and he promised to make _both_ parents proud.

Naruto placed the scroll box near the clothing and grabbed the next box and it was somewhat heavy. Naruto opened it to find a plain scroll with 'Namikaze' written on it, it also held a neatly stacked pile of three-pronged kunai, confusing Naruto.

_'What kind of kunai are these?'_

Naruto found a note in different hand writing, it must have been from his father.

_'Hey Naruto! Your mother told me we're making like a time capsule or something for you so I put in my favorite jutsu so you can use them someday! In the scroll it contains instructions for the __**Hiraishin**__ and the __**Rasengan**__, two jutsu I'm very well known for. The __**Rasengan**__ hasn't gotten completed yet, but I know you can finish it if I don't! The three-pronged kunai are used in conjunction with the __**Hiraishin**__, read more from the scroll. See ya later Naruto!'_

_'Well dad was excited.'_

Naruto picked up one of the kunai and played with it in his fingers, testing it's weight and how it felt in his hand. He immediately noticed the seal on the grip of the kunai and guessed that was a piece of the **Hiraishin** technique. He smiled upon placing the kunai back on the stack, figuring that he could effectively wield them with practice.

Then Naruto came to the final box and opened it to find money, and lots of it. The ryo coins were all stacked and wrapped neatly and Naruto counted tens of thousands easily, he also noticed a few books off to the side, probably journals from his parents.

_'I suppose this is my inheritance..thanks mom and dad!'_

Naruto had decided that he would not stay in Konoha for much longer, and he knew that it was impossible for him to bring along all the money, so he came up with a great plan. It was very short and simple checklist.

_1. RAMEN!_

_2. MORE RAMEN!_

_3. RAMEN CUPS!_

_4. important ninja stuff. :(_

With the newly created list in mind, Naruto placed enough money inside Gama-chan to stuff the frog's face in. He then placed all the boxes back inside the sealed space for protection, looters could come by while he was gone and he refused to lose his last connection to his parents.

He also made sure to grab one of the three-pronged kunai since his father had only given him 10 of them. He decided to spend some of the inheritance on getting more of the special kunai made, minus the seal; Naruto would have to create and draw that on his own.

Before he walked out the door, Naruto face palmed himself for his own stupidity. He had almost forgot to replace his Uzu forehead protector with his Konoha one, and that would be a little too difficult to explain. Finally, Naruto left his apartment and headed straight for the Shinobi Weapon store and walked inside, avoiding the occasional glare or whispered threat he received. The shopkeeper noticed Naruto walk in and smiled at the boy as did Naruto to him, there was a few people who understood Naruto and this man was one of them.

"Naruto-san! What can I do for you today?" Naruto walked up to the vendor and discreetly handed the man his special kunai and whispered into his ear.

"I need 40 of these kunai made as soon as possible, the Hokage's order. She wants me to begin learning to use a new weapon and I asked for this, the weapon of my idol the Yondaime Hokage. Think you can do that sir?"

The man at first looked at Naruto with genuine surprise and disbelief when he first saw the weapon but he understood the situation after Naruto's explanation (lie). Naruto paid for all the kunai in advance and left a bewildered shop owner behind.

"Ramen time!"

* * *

Naruto left the ramen booth feeling a little lighter in his pockets but a lot heavier in his stomach, and he patted it for good measure. He had easily wolfed down a couple dozen bowls of Ramen before taking a five minute break and continuing again. Naruto made sure that he bought some of the new 'Ichiraku Ramen Cups!' that the old man had created, it contained Ichiraku-made ramen in on-the-go cups.

He returned home and once again switched his forehead protector back to the Uzu symbol. He went over all the hidden boxes contents once again and smiled when he found nothing missing, out of place, or damaged. He walked to his bed and lied down after another trying day, wondering if tomorrow he would leave this place, the village he once called home. The place he declared that he would become Hokage of, and that dream had slipped away and had been replaced by a goal, almost like the Uchiha.

Naruto's goal was to bring Whirlpool back to it's former glory, and have the Uzumaki come alive again into one of the strongest clans of the Shinobi Continent. He still played his mother's writing over and over in his head, the writing about _'a nice little Uzumaki girl'_. He wondered if he really could find another Uzumaki in Kiri or anywhere really, maybe he could travel to the old Uzugakure ruins, maybe it had already been rebuilt.

Naruto's thoughts continued to drift on about beautiful red heads and how he would look in a Kage hat until he fell into a deep sleep. Elsewhere, there was a couple of love birds talking about him and his sudden rejection in Jiraiya's training.

* * *

_Hokage Tower_

"I just don't get it Tsunade, the gaki seemed receptive enough in my previous training. Why wouldn't he want to go on this training trip with me now?" Jiraiya complained to the busty blond Hokage as she sat annoyed by the pervert's tirade.

"I don't know Jiraiya, maybe he just didn't want to be around your perverted ass for two years! I know I wouldn't.." Tsunade mumbled the last part, but Jiraiya still picked it up and scowled at his old teammate.

"But Tsunade-hime.." Tsunade just held up a hand for quiet.

"Jiraiya..You can't force the boy to go train with you. I'll admit he has acted somewhat different the past month or so, but maybe he has decided to follow his own footsteps instead of walking over others. You can keep trying, but I won't force the poor boy, and you shouldn't either. His mother was just as stubborn, and we all know how difficult it was to convince her about anything."

Jiraiya cringed at the thought of an annoyed Kushina, he could still recognize and count all of her inflicted bruises.

"I suppose you're right Tsunade, I can't force him. But what about Akatsuki, we can't just leave him defenseless! If I can't train him, how will he become strong enough to fight them?" Tsunade sighed and got up from her chair, she turned to look out the window.

_'Akatsuki, they always have to make things complicated.'_

"We will just have to see, Naruto may surprise us and start training on his own. He obviously had some reason to not go with you, so we will wait exactly one month and see how his progress comes."

Jiraiya walked over and joined Tsunade in looking out over Konoha, both contemplating the blond genin and his future. Tsunade turned to Jiraiya with apprehension in her eyes and a frown, and he looked back to her confusedly.

"Do you..think we should tell Naruto about his parents?" Jiraiya went wide eyed in surprise but quickly schooled his features to a serious face he used very rarely.

"No, he isn't ready to understand yet, he won't understand why it was kept from him. He must mature first, then maybe he can accept the truth." Tsunade continued to look at him and then looked down to the ground in regret and shame.

"I hate lying to him, he deserves to know." Jiraiya frowned and placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

"Don't worry Tsunade, he will come to find out in time. For now, we must believe in his father's wishes and the Third's decree and hope that they were right, I believe in their decision."

Tsunade shrugged off his hand and went back to her desk. She held a frown as she took out a sake bottle and filled a single cup, making Jiraiya frown. He watched as she drank the alcohol slowly and set the cup back down, thinking about something. Finally she answered him quietly, and she did so with regret drenching her voice.

"I'm not so sure I believe it anymore Jiraiya.."

* * *

_Two days later_

"Here you are Naruto-san, forty kunai as per the Hokage's order. I hope you use them well, I'm sure the Yondaime would be proud to see his weapon used by another strong shinobi."

Naruto smirked at the weapon maker, oh he was proud all right.

"You flatter me with your praise, I don't plan on letting him or anyone else down. I'm going to train and become powerful, it is my dream to become Hokage ya know?"

Naruto faked the speech and gave a smile to the man before walking out with a small box filled with dangerous weapons, he hummed a small tune as he walked back home to finalize his preparations in leaving Konoha.

He had already packed his essentials into a large scroll and had placed all the family inheritance into the same large scroll he had prepared to carry on his back. He had asked tenten where to find one since she often used scrolls for sealing things, and she had pointed him in the direction of her father's store. He had given Naruto a large sized scroll that felt as light as a feather, surely some other seal or jutsu, scroll paper couldn't be that light.

All of his remaining cash and family scrolls had been sealed away, including more than half his kunai. Naruto would keep five three-pronged kunai in his waist pouch, the rest would be sealed away for later use. He also had garnered together most of his survival equipment into the large scroll as well and had each object group sealed away from each other on the large scroll, along with labels that made it easy to remember where he had placed things.

He decided that he would leave tonight and head straight for Kiri, possibly booking himself a ship for the Uzugakure ruins, he figured that it would be a tourist attraction by now.

_'Not for long though, it will be returned to it's rightful owners.'_

He had prepared a small goodbye note that would be delivered straight to the Hokage directly after he left the village. He had no doubt that Konoha would come after him, but he was confident that he would be able to outrun the search party if he left quickly enough.

Jiraiya though, he would be a real problem; if he somehow found out that Naruto was leaving, he could easily track him down. But Naruto already had a full proof plan to stop the old pervert, he just needed Jiraiya to stop by tonight and it would be done.

Eventually there was a knock on the door and Naruto smirked, the trap was set. He quickly snagged the scroll and placed it to hang off his back, then he placed his hands into his iconic hand sign and whispered his jutsu's name.

"**Shadow Clone Jutsu**."

He ordered the clone to stay in the room and not come out until he gave the signal, and with that, Naruto left his bedroom to answer the door. He walked up and looked through the peephole and confirmed the old hermit had arrived before he opened the door and allowed him in.

"Hey kid, I hear you said that you might consider the training?" Jiraiya asked, glad the boy finally came around. Naruto hid a smirk and nodded, motioning the man to sit down on his couch.

"Yeah, I was thinking about it. Hey I was going to plan on trying to cook something for tonight while we talk about the 2-year trip. Do you mind if I step out for awhile to get some ingredients, I left someone to keep you company?" Naruto fake pleaded and Jiraiya's eyes went from narrowed suspicion to genuine surprise.

"Sure Naruto, but who's going to keep me company?" Naruto _did_ smirk at that and called for the clone to come out. Jiraiya turned towards Naruto's door and instantly got a nosebleed and started scribbling down notes on his 'research' paper.

Naruto's clone came out of the bedroom with nothing but a small bikini covering 'her' modest parts, and she winked to Naruto and he winked back. Naruto's clone sat down next to Jiraiya and gave him the cute eye treatment that practically knocked him out from blood loss.

"Alright I'll be back soon Jiraiya, Naruko-chan!" 'Naruko' looked to Naruto and waved goodbye and blew a kiss for luck. The clone knew her bosses plan, and she also knew her own part in it.

_'Act cute and distract the pervert while Naruto-kun escapes.'_

She looked to the man in question and found him pleasantly knocked out from her chosen outfit and smirked. It looked like Naruto would get a clean getaway.

* * *

_Midnight, Konoha Front Gate_

Naruto stalked through the surrounding foliage until he came upon his prize, the gate to leave Konoha. He immediately took note of the one guard at the guard post and thought out his options to escape. He figured that the man could be tricked by a shadow clone transformation, but then he noticed Konohamaru wandering the streets; what the hell was he doing out this late.

Naruto didn't know, but he wasn't about to look a gift horse in the mouth. He moved to Konohamaru and engaged the small boy in a quick conversation before he recruited him for a job.

"Hey Konohamaru, what are you doing out this late all alone?" Konohamaru gasped a bit when Naruto whispered into his ear from behind since he was caught by total surprise. He looked at his 'leader' and shrugged.

"I don't know, couldn't sleep I guess." Naruto raised an eyebrow but otherwise just nodded at the explanation.

He quickly created a shadow clone and had it transform into a cat. Konohamaru watched in wonder as Naruto did some cool jutsu and wondered when he would be able to do that. He tapped his young charge on the shoulder and got his attention.

"Hey Konohamaru, want to help me with a prank?" Konohamaru looked at him with a confused expression before it morphed to a big grin, he loved pranking people!

"Sure boss, what do ya need?" Naruto smiled, _too _easy.

"I need you to go up to the gate guard over there.." Naruto pointed to the man in the distance. "and ask him for your help in catching my clone here. Just pretend it's your cat and lead him on a wide goose chase to the other side of town, pull the 'Honorable-grandson' card if he doesn't bite okay?"

Konohamaru went over the plan and smirked and he nodded his assent to Naruto.

"Wait Naruto, what will you be doing while he is distracted?" Naruto frowned a bit at this, reminded once again that not some of the people he was going to leave behind made him hurt. He set a hand on his young protege's shoulder and gave him a smile that was just enough to hold back tears.

"I'm gonna prepare something special for him when he gets back, keep him distracted for as long as you can!" Konohamaru nodded and started to walk in the guard's direction but was stopped again by Naruto.

"Hey Konohamaru?" The boy turned around only to enter a friendly hug by Naruto, one that helped him cope with leaving. The boy was confused but returned the gesture anyway.

"Yeah boss?" Naruto looked down at the boy and asked him to close his eyes for a second. The boy looked at him suspiciously but did so anyway.

Naruto used his nimble fingers and quickly substituted the boy's goggles with Naruto's own Leaf headband, a token to remember him by. The boy still had his eyes closed as Naruto whispered some parting words that struck many chords in his aching heart.

"Continue to get strong Konohamaru, I have every belief that you will make the old man proud..you already made me proud since the day I met you. Good luck, I hope to see you again.."

Naruto disappeared to a nearby tree and watched the boy open his eyes and felt his forehead and looked to find Naruto's headband and he wore a melancholy expression, as if he understood Naruto was really leaving. The young boy looked around for him until he wore a sad smile and let a few tears go, making Naruto finally let loose his own share of sadness.

"Goodbye..Naruto-niichan."

The boy ran up to the guard and caught the man's attention perfectly, leading the man off towards Naruto's already running clone. The blond took one last look at Konoha before he started running down the dirt road in the direction of Kiri, hoping that he could return one day.

_'Goodbye..Konoha.'_

* * *

Tsunade sat at her desk the following morning of Naruto's escape, she still had yet to receive his letter. Shizune was due to bring her any nightly mail that the Hokage might have received and she was sipping some green tea in preparation for more paperwork.

"Ah. Nothing calms you more than green tea." Tsunade smiled at that thought and continued smiling even when Shizune entered with the single piece of mail and handed it to her.

"Lady Tsunade, this was received from Naruto a little before midnight according to the desk clerk." Tsunade looked up at her and down to the letter, curious that the boy would send a message to her when he could just visit.

"Huh, wonder what the kid wants?" Tsunade opened the letter and began to read with Shizune watching her carefully.

Tsunade's face went from shock, to disbelief, and finally to unbridled anguish as she let loose heavy tears and began to sob. She pushed herself out of her chair and went straight to the window, leaving Shizune wondering what the hell was wrong, what did Naruto do? Tsunade's cry of anguish resonated throughout the village, reaching even the ears of a dozing Jiraiya.

"NARUTO!!!"

* * *

Jiraiya looked to see Naruko still in her place on the couch, playing with her nails until she heard the grieving cry and knew that was her cue to leave.

"Oh..looks like it's time to leave. See ya pervert!" and with a puff of smoke, the attractive temptress was gone.

Jiraiya stared at the spot she was once in and found his mind wandering. Where was Naruto? How long had he been out? What did Naruko do while he was asleep and why did he miss it?!

Then he finally remembered what made him woke up, Tsunade's cry for Naruto. Deciding that something was seriously wrong, he bolted out of the apartment's window and headed straight for the Hokage office. What he found disturbed him greatly.

He found a utterly wrecked Tsunade sobbing on the floor with an equally saddened Shizune trying futilely to comfort the Hokage. Neither seemed to pay attention to the man as he examined the room and looked for threats, but was unable to find any. Jiraiya looked more closely and saw Tsunade holding something in her palm, a necklace? A locket?

Upon looking closer, his face went to utter disbelief and great sadness as he pieced together the clues.

"Oh god no.." Jiraiya whispered and looked one more time at the necklace, it was Naruto's necklace. The same one that was gifted to him by Tsunade, the same one that tethered the two together, a bond that was unbreakable. It was one of the many bonds that Naruto had broken in his leave from the village.

Jiraiya went to the desk and picked up the discarded letter and did his best to read the smudged writing, no doubt from Tsunade's tears.

_'Tsunade-baachan, if you are reading this, then I have already left the village. I can never tell you how sorry I am for leaving, but I came to this decision as a last resort._

_I discovered my heritage left behind for me about a month ago, and since then I have been deciding how to handle the many changes that it has caused. I hold no anger towards any of you, only the people who hate and misunderstand me that reside in this village have earned my animosity. _

_I have left for lands unknown to learn and master my bloodline that my mother has left for me, please do not follow for I do not wish to come back now, maybe someday but not now. _

_I have returned your necklace to you, because I feel that because I came to this decision of leaving the village, I broke our pact, our promise. I'm no longer fit to wear that necklace, and I can never be strong enough, but I hope that I can make you and everyone back at Konoha proud, just like I'm going to make my parents proud too._

_Goodbye baachan,_

_Thanks for everything_

"You are..worthy..Naruto! How could you..just leave..Konoha..HOW COULD YOU LEAVE ME!?" Tsunade sobbed and Shizune was still no better off, remembering how kind the boy was, how could he just leave?

Jiraiya looked out the window after dropping the letter like it was acid and thought about the predicament.

_'Naruto..why?'_

"Jiraiya.." The man looked down to Tsunade and saw her gripping his shirt on her knees, practically begging him. His eyes widened and he took the woman's hands into his own, trying his best to comfort the heartbroken Hokage.

"Jiraiya..bring Naruto back! Please! I can't..I just can't declare him a..a..missing-nin! I'll resign before I do! Bring Naruto back!" Jiraiya turned serious and nodded, hopping and leaning on the window, he looked over his shoulder.

"I will, Tsunade...I promise."

And with that, the man was gone in a swirl of leaves, leaving Tsunade to get herself together and begin her day. A day without a blond gaki, a day without any annoyances or problems, a day that she wasn't insulted about her age..a day without her little Naruto.

* * *

_One Week Later_

"Woah..so this is Kirigakure? This is where Haku and Zabuza were from, right?" Naruto quietly whispered to himself in wonder as he got off the boat and entered the harbor of the hidden village's home island.

He saw the mountains off in the distance, and he figured that was the village's natural barrier to the outer part of the island he was on. He saw his path and readjusted his scroll on his back before he started walking, a hopeful smile on his face.

"Kirigakure, here I come!"

* * *

Done. First Chapter, dramatic leave. A bit abrupt but he had to leave sooner or later, how will he find his 'little' Uzumaki soulmate?


	2. Kirigakure, Time to Meet the Mizukage!

Uzumaki Clan's Rebirth

Chapter 2

Kirigakure, Time to Meet the Mizukage!

**Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO!**

"speaking"

_'thinking'_

"**Jutsu**"

**"Tailed Beast Speak"**

NaruxMei

**BLOODLINE WARNING**: Naruto uses **Lava** and **Boil** Release in this story. He has three elements in total because of his bloodlimit, Fire, Water, and Earth.

Mei is _very_ flirty and playful, so try and take her more..perverted actions as her usual personality. She isn't into Naruto..yet!

* * *

_Kirigakure Mountain Path_

"Okay I get the whole 'Hidden Mist' thing, BUT WHY DOES IT HAVE TO BE SO FOGGY!" Naruto screamed into the surrounding forest, scaring some birds into flying away and they left a fuming Naruto behind.

He had been traveling for the past hour to try and reach the hidden village and all he had seen so far was mist, mist, oh and more mist! He couldn't even tell if he was walking in the right direction anymore, hell he could barely see the road. He checked the 'Traveler's Guide' he picked up in the harbor and reread it one more time about the natural phenomena of Water country.

_'True to it's name, the central island, especially areas near Kirigakure are known to have year long fogs and mist with no sign dissipation. Some relate it to the island and how wet the area is constantly, some radical believers think to believe Kiri ninja purposely create the fog as a 'natural' defense mechanism. Needless to say, the fog is often loathed among tourists and water transportation must always be monitored to keep ships from running aground or hitting one another.'_

Naruto looked up and frowned, resigning himself to fate of walking in the forest for eternity. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity to Naruto, he found himself at a stake in the ground with writing on it. Naruto read it aloud.

"Welcome to Kirigakure!"

Naruto's frown turned to a vibrant smile and he noticed that the mist had finally dissipated, as if his words were magic. The village was slowly revealed to him and Naruto finally realized that he was on a hill, or a tall mountain path since the village was much lower than the ground he was on. He used his eyes to map the path and figured it would take him fifteen minutes to reach the gate at a sedate pace, but he stayed at the stake for a few moments to look at the city.

It held a unique architecture compared to Konoha, most of it's buildings were cylindrical in shape and he thought he could spy what he figured to be the Mizukage's office. It was just a hunch though, Naruto really had no prior knowledge to the village itself, apart from rumors and things. Apparently, Kirigakure just finished up a civil war between bloodlines and normal citizens, but Naruto didn't know who won. He gulped out of hesitation and slight fear.

_'I hope the bloodlines won, or else this trip will be for nothing.'_

Naruto began to walk down the path to the village, fidgeting with the scroll's sash held over his chest. He had been quite confident getting off the boat, but now that he was staring down a potentially enemy village, he was having second thoughts. He steeled himself, knowing in his mind that what he was doing was right, his clan was counting on him.

He soon reached the village and found the gate to be guarded with a lot more security than the usually lax Konoha front gate. There were at least five Kiri ninja standing at solid attention at the gate and he saw a figure in front of their single file line.

As he walked closer, he noticed the curves of the body, a perfect hourglass shape. It had to have been a woman, yet she appeared to stand resolute and with authority if the sweating Kiri nin were any proof. She stood waiting for him to arrive and she looked quite bored, arms crossed and an impatient look displayed upon her perfect features.

Naruto could now observe her clearly and his jaw dropped at her looks, the utter beauty of the woman in front of him. He stood before her now, and the woman watched as the boy looked her up and down with a knowing smirk.

_'I swear, men are all the same, no matter the age.'_

The Mizukage had been alerted to a lone traveler's presence by Kiri patrols and by the unnatural mist detection jutsu generated by Kiri itself. She knew it was odd for a lone traveler to come to Kiri on business, and what worried her was that the person had been walking _slowly_ right down the _main_ path.

Any typical spy would have gone off the main road and tried to infiltrate over the wall or _something_, not try and walk right through the front gate! Because of this, she elected to lead a squad herself in meeting with the individual and ask of his business in the hidden village, yet she found it odd when she finally noticed him to be young. He could be no more of fifteen years of age yet he held a certain air of authority and competence, it appeared as though he had an objective in coming to Kiri, but what?

Naruto was still staring at the woman's beauty as she analyzed him as an enemy, but he analyzed her as a woman, a very hot woman! She had long russet-red hair that easily reached her ankles and fanned out behind her, some even covered her right eye. Now looking to her eye, he saw that it was an emerald green color, and he saw that she favored the color blue from her appearance.

Her lips were an ocean blue color from lipstick, and he saw that both her toenails and her fingernails were both blue in color. She wore a blue garment over what appeared to be a fishnet body suit, she also wore leg guards like that crazy snake lady from Konoha.

She stared at him with some patience he noticed, but all of a sudden her eyes widened and she was gaping at the mouth. He followed her moving eyes and noticed that they were moving from his Uzu headband to the Uzumaki swirl on his lower torso.

_'She must know something about the Uzumaki..'_

_'Wait..that is impossible! All the Uzumaki have put away their old uniforms and dropped their ties with the clan. I watched father and mother both burn theirs, why does this boy have an Uzugakure uniform?'_

"Um..hello, I'm a traveler to your village, Kirigakure. I mean no trouble, I'm just looking for someone to help me find out a few things about my clan.."

Naruto trailed off as he saw the ninja stiffen even more at the sound of 'clans' and the Mizukage schooled her features and walked up to him. She looked down at him and knelt slightly so she could be eye level with the young man, and talked with a level tone yet she kept a smile on her face.

"Hello traveler, it is nice to see someone coming to the village. We haven't gotten many visitors since the end of the..Massacres.." the woman trailed off and appeared to look sad before looking back at Naruto, again smiling. "May I inquire your name, young man?"

Naruto looked on shocked that the woman was actually speaking to him, with a smile on her face no less. He expected a lazy, or even cold welcome, yet she appeared to be genuinely happy he was here.

"Uh, my name is Naruto, Naruto Uzumaki. May I ask yours?"

Naruto asked the question back and watched the woman's eyes widen again at the sound of 'Uzumaki' but she straightened out quicker than last time. She smiled and placed an acknowledging hand on her chest.

"My name is Mei Terumi, and I am the Fifth Mizukage." She said resolutely but was surprised by the young Uzumaki when he knelt in front of her like most of her own ninja did, yet he wasn't even a shinobi of her village?

"I'm so sorry for my disrespect, Mizukage-sama! Had I known who you were before.." Naruto trailed off when he felt a hand on his shoulder and looked up to see Mei smiling brightly at him, her visible eye closed from the size of the grin.

"Please Naruto, there is no need for formalities. I may be the Mizukage but I get enough respect from my own ninja, you may call me Mei." Naruto looked on as she opened her eyes and looked at his bewildered expression and then she faked a frown and turned away.

"Unless of course, you do not wish to call me by my name.." Naruto woke up from his stupor and realized she had been talking to him.

"No no, I didn't mean it like that Mei-cha.." Naruto slapped his hands over his mouth and begged that she hadn't noticed the slip, but she obviously had with her now shocked face.

Feeling as though their Mizukage had been insulted by the foreigner's feigned familiarity, the Kiri ninja made to attack the boy, but the Mizukage glared at them. She kept her glare until each settled into an uncomfortable squirm under her gaze, then she smirked before turning back to Naruto with a bright smile.

"Mei-chan huh?" She looked at Naruto and almost laughed as he squirmed under her inquisitive gaze but she let up and giggled.

Naruto had been waiting for an all mighty and powerful Water Jutsu to drown him to death or the other ninja to carve him up with kunai for his disrespect, but he looked to see Mei giggling from the comment.

"Okay Naruto-_kun_, how about we go inside the village and discuss your problem in my office. I may be able to help you with your clan problem." She said and began to walk in the direction of her office, she looked behind her to see Naruto still standing there, just watching her.

_'I must really have captured the interest of this young Uzumaki..curious.'_

"Are you coming Naruto-kun? My bodyguards won't bite, or else I'll _melt_ them." She threatened her own Kiri ninjas while still smiling, and each of them were completely frightened.

They knew that Mei meant that statement _very_ _literally_ because of her unique bloodline, yet Naruto was completely oblivious and started to walk up to her and stood behind the woman to respect her.

The young woman frowned and looked at Naruto who was looking down at the ground, still embarrassed at his lack of respect to the Mizukage. She once again knelt down to his level and set a hand on his cheek, forcing him to look at her pristine features.

She gave him another one of her famous smiles that had made the young genin feel butterflies in his stomach and made him feel at peace. He listened to her melodic voice as she spoke to him softly.

"Please Naruto-kun, I won't hurt you for calling me 'Mei-chan'. I actually think it's cute, now please walk _with_ me, not behind me. You have shown nothing but kindness and respect to my village so far, I have no reason to feel any animosity towards you."

She continued to smile until Naruto gave her a nervous smile and nodded in agreement, _and_ she noticed when he frowned a bit when she took her hand back from his cheek and got up. She frowned at the thought of making him sad, but she didn't want to believe the young newcomer had developed a crush on her so soon.

_'He is very interesting, and cute with those whisker marks.'_

She began walking towards the largest cylindrical building of the city, the kanji sign for 'Water' in the same spot as Konoha's 'Fire' on their Hokage building. Naruto walked alongside the taller woman with her bodyguards obediently following behind them, keeping an eye on the young boy. They were itching for an excuse just to kill him, but the Mizukage had shown favor towards the boy and it would obviously end badly if they were to try something.

"This is Kirigakure Naruto-kun, I recently became the Godaime Mizukage after my predecessor, Yagura, died of unknown causes. I have been working to stop the Bloodline Massacres that started during his reign for some time now..the fruits of our labor are as you can see now." She motioned with her hands towards the village residential sector they were walking through.

Naruto saw the many children playing outside in playgrounds with their parents mingling with each other from the benches. Shop vendors, both inside stores or outside at stalls, were actively trading and selling their many wares with both civilian and shinobi. The houses were all well built and even though some were obviously only recently constructed, the village had an immaculate, pristine look.

_'If these Massacres are as bad she made them sound..she did very well in taking over.'_

"I see it Mei-chan." A low growl could be heard from the bodyguards. "This village must be prospering under your rule, to have fixed so much in so little of time." Naruto looked up into her proud eyes as she looked down to him. "You are obviously a great leader, Mei-chan."

The young woman blushed a bit at his compliment and smiled, she already liked the Uzumaki, this Naruto. Many had at first disagreed with her appointment to Mizukage, some asking for her to resign due to being a woman, and others calling for her head because of her bloodline.

_'Bloodline..I wonder, if this boy is a trueblood like I am. Could his clan problem be that he is starting to activate the bloodline?'_

"T..Thank you Naruto-kun, I'm glad you think so. Many have often disagreed with my appointment to the Kage position here in Kirigakure. To hear it from a newcomer so soon..it is disconcerting to think that you would have more confidence in me than my own people." Naruto frowned at that, how could her people not see the prosperity she has brought?

"Here we are, the Mizukage Office Building." She walked to the center of the welcoming lobby and turned to Naruto, holding out her slender hand. "I always hated stairs, hold onto me Naruto-kun. I'll get us there quicker." Naruto hesitantly took her hand and she grew a playful smirk.

The woman purposely pulled him too hard and he slammed into her chest, luckily he had two nice cushions to prevent any harm. The guards again growled but Mei just giggled at what she had done, it was fun messing with Naruto. She smiled as she put her arms around his neck as if to hug him until they were enveloped in a swirl of water, causing both to disappear to the Mizukage Suite.

* * *

_Mizukage Office_

The two ninja appeared in the woman's office, and Naruto noted how it was similar to the Hokage office, except there was a lot of..blue. The office held a simple desk and a blue leather couch in front of the it, obviously for comfort rather than business; the room held a full window wall behind the office desk, giving a clear view of the village for the Mizukage. It also seemed the room was not in a shape like the Hokage office, it seemed to be a small trapezoid shape, the window wall being the lengthy base and the door being the starting point for the angled sides.

Naruto looked towards the actual entrance to the office and found a set of regal wooden double doors, and there was a blue carpet that led from the entrance to the front of the office desk. From the door, three blue marble columns flanked the carpet on either side, and Naruto observed they were more for show and not for actual structural integrity. All in all, it beat the Hokage office in luxury easily.

Mei walked away from Naruto and sat on the couch instead of her usual seat at the desk and patted a seat on the couch right next to her. Naruto took the hint and gulped, hesitantly walking over to sit next the beautiful woman. She laced an arm above Naruto's head, resting it on the couch and leaning in close with an inviting smile and began to talk to the embarrassed genin.

"So what brings an Uzumaki to my village?" Mei questioned, gauging both his reaction and his answer to her question on how to proceed. It was a delicate matter for her, since she had..'history' with the Uzumaki. Naruto gulped and did his best to explain his situation, skirting around sensitive Uzumaki business like their bloodline and such, he essentially was looking for relatives from what his half truth speech sounded like.

"There must be more of a reason for you to just up and leave your home in Konoha than to find some long lost relatives, don't lie to me Naruto." She threatened with narrowed eyes but still kept a deceivingly cheerful smile on her face, Naruto gulped.

_'Guess it's now or never.'_

"Well you see..I am at the age where the Uzumaki bloodline activates, and I need to find someone to train me to harness it. One day I hope to rebuild Uzugakure and the Uzumaki clan, but I can't do that if I can't use my kekkei genkai can I?" Mei acquired a surprised face, she had already guessed his bloodline would be the real reason he was in Kiri but she hadn't thought that he would actually have such a dream.

She had not expected him to have such ambition, to bring glory back to the old Whirlpool country? Impossible! It was now owned by Kirigakure, as were most of the islands surrounding the central Isle. But she had to give it to the young boy, he definitely had determination to see it through.

"I see.." Mei suddenly got up and walked towards the wall-spanning window and looked out across the village. Having a silent battle within herself on how to proceed, since she had to be careful, 'pureblood' Uzumaki were hard to find anywhere now, and to lose one now would be a great loss to Kiri.

Naruto fiddled with his scroll that he had set on the ground, nervous on the Mizukage's decision. He wanted to stay here and find other Uzumaki, but he could regretfully understand any reason the Mizukage might have of denying him and sending him back. He watched her turn towards him, a straight face that made it impossible to read her.

"I'm afraid the Uzumaki clan is defunct, any true Uzumaki are either dead or..in hiding." Naruto frowned at her explanation but had feared such an answer. Mei hated to disappoint him, but she knew that there was no true Uzumaki clan left, just a few branch families.

"I see..Well I suppose I'll go then. Thank you for your time Mizukage-sama." Mei held a shocked and hurt look on her face as she watched the downtrodden boy pick up his scroll and leave. Mei held out her hand as if to grab him and yelled to him.

"Stop!" Naruto froze and slowly turned back to her, wondering what other bad news she could bring next. Mei was frowning, she hated to see the young man look so down about his situation, she had to find something to keep him there!

"Where will you go Naruto-kun? There is no other place that would have any chance of holding Uzumaki clansmen, and I'm sure there is a search party waiting to find you in Fire territory." Naruto looked at her and began to contemplate where he would go, he just wanted to leave this place, it hurt too much to stay.

"I suppose I could go to Wave, I have made many friends there, and it is possible because of their proximity that an Uzumaki could be located in the town."

The Mizukage frowned, his explanation was sound and she couldn't dissuade him; she watched him turn and continue walking towards the door. She disappeared in a vortex of water and appeared directly in front of him, surprising him and made his face plow into her large breasts.

She giggled a bit at the scene and frowned when he backed up and started stuttering off an apology. She walked up to him and knelt a bit, placing a hand on his cheek to calm him; it did wonders, the boy shut up and looked at the emerald eyed goddess.

"There may be no active Uzumaki here, but I believe that _I_ can train you Naruto-kun. My clan holds a kekkei genkai that is a carbon copy of your own, and I believe that our clans must have had some history for this to be, although I can't be sure." Naruto looked shocked at the innocent woman, she had _his_ kekkei genkai?

"Wait..you can use Lava and Boil release?!" Mei smirked and nodded her head, Naruto's eyes widened even more. "You mean that you know the three elements of the bloodline, Earth, Fire, _and _Water!?" Mei held her smirk and nodded again, and Naruto settled down and decided to sum up his thoughts. "Whoa.." Mei began to smile at that, it appeared as though he would stay!

"So does this mean you will stay in Kiri Naruto-kun?" Naruto looked into her eyes and hesitantly took her hand that was on his cheek and held it with his own, causing her to gape in surprise. He smiled at the young woman, and gave her a thumbs up.

"On my honor as an Uzumaki, I promise to be your best student Mei-chan! Of course I'll stay here, I really like your village, I just have to find somewhere to live." Naruto went into a thinking pose and wracked his brain for a living arrangement, Mei laughed at him. "Do you have any suggestions Mei-chan?" She smiled and set a hand on his shoulder, standing up to her full height.

"I'm glad you asked Naruto-kun, if you will be okay with it, I'll have you stay in my families estate. It'll be easier to train you then, and we can keep each other company! ANBU and Swordsman aren't a lot of fun to talk to, it's all business to them when they are guarding me!" Mei pouted and it was Naruto's turn to giggle at her antics, she was definitely an interesting Kage.

"If you're sure you want me to live with you..then I agree!" Naruto pumped his fist into the air in victory, and Mei smiled again. She walked over to her desk and pulled out three headbands from her desk drawer, each having a different color fabric. She laid them out on the table and motioned for Naruto to pick one.

"I'm sorry Naruto, but many people here won't recognize your Uzu headband, and it might be dangerous for you to wear. If you would like, I can temporarily induct you into the Kirigakure Ninja Corp., all you have to do is sign a few documents and pick out a headband!" Mei smiled and watched him look at all three Kiri headbands.

Naruto looked at each headband on the desk, all of them had the four waves for the Kirigakure village symbol. The first was a very common color that Naruto didn't really enjoy that much on headbands, blue. He shook his head and looked at the next one, it was a bright red like his own and Sakura's, but it didn't fit well with Kiri's personal style. Naruto smiled and picked up the final choice, a dark black headband and slipped it onto his forehead.

Mei smiled at his choice, albeit a little disappointed he didn't pick blue. She flared her chakra and out of a cloud of mist came three ninja, all three had ANBU masks on but only two wore a full uniform.

The one that appeared to be the leader wore a striped blue shirt with a Kiri headband buckled to the front of it. On his back, there appeared to be an oddly shaped sword with dual hilts, and Naruto wondered if he was a member of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist. He had his ears covered and had blond hair, similar in color to the Yamanaka. His pants were a camouflage not unlike Zabuza's and his ninja sandals were black. The other two wore standard ANBU uniform and had their masks adorned with blue designs, to signify their Kiri allegiance.

"Chōjūrō, take off your mask please." Naruto looked at the Mizukage and back at the man that had now been identified, the man bowed low and took off his mask. He wore orange-lenses in his black-trimmed glasses that connected to the headphones over his ears, and he wore a shy smile that was made up of sharpened teeth.

_'Exactly like Zabuza's teeth, he must be one of them.'_

"How may we..um help, Mizukage-sama?" The boy asked, and Naruto could barely hear him.

_'This guy would be perfect for Hinata.'_

"I would like you to escort Naruto and myself to the Shinobi District, we will be getting him a new set of clothes. He is a genin so don't treat him like a civilian, understood?" Chōjūrō and the other two ANBU nodded and took in the appearance of Naruto, and noticed that he wore a Kiri headband but had a strange sense of fashion.

"Yes ma'am!" And they all disappeared in a thick mist, leaving the office behind for an adventure through Naruto's new hometown.

* * *

"Hey um..Chōjūrō-san?" Naruto had been pondering a question to ask the Swordsman since they had departed from the Mizukage's office but he had been afraid to ask.

The three ANBU had walked directly behind the two VIPs and had been quiet for the most part, Mei had engaged Naruto in small talk but it was only to pass the time. Chōjūrō looked at the boy and gave Naruto a smile, he trusted the Mizukage's judgment in friends enough.

"Yes..what do you need Naruto-san?" Naruto scratched the back of his head and hesitantly asked his question.

"I was wondering..are you a member of the Seven Swordsmen?" All the present Kiri shinobi turned to Naruto and failed to hide their surprise, how did Naruto know about that organization? Chōjūrō looked unsure and asked a silent question with his eyes to the Mizukage, and she just smirked and nodded, giving him permission.

"Yes I am Naruto-san, how did you know?" Naruto smiled and jabbed a finger into his chest.

"It's because you look like some of the other Swordsmen from that organization that I've met!" Everyone was shocked at this, where could he have met them?

"What do you mean Naruto-kun? We currently have four Swordsmen, and they have been in the capital for the past three years." Mei asked, curious of the story behind his answer.

"Well I've met Zabuza, Raiga, and um..I think his name was Kisame or something. I've fought all three actually!" The group stopped walking and looked at Naruto with wide eyes, when did this happen?!

"Wait, you fought Kisame-senpai and Zabuza-senpai!?" Chōjūrō practically blurted out his question to the confused blond who nodded dumbly. "How did you survive!?" Naruto just shrugged, not seeing the big deal.

"Naruto-kun." The Mizukage got his attention and she explained their startled reaction. "The Seven Swordsmen are some the most powerful ninja our village have produced, to fight them..would be a challenge even for me!" Naruto's eyes widened and he understood their implication.

"Oh well..I don't know how exactly to explain. I guess I always had help when I fought them, but I never really lost when I fought any of them except for Kisame." Chōjūrō nodded his head in assent, his sensei had told him many horror stories involving that shark, he was the most feared of all the Swordsman for the sheer strength of both himself and his sword, Samehada.

"That is amazing Naruto-kun, your clan would be very proud to see you stand against such opponents!" Mei praised the blushing boy and the bodyguards nodded in respect.

_'He really is a powerful Uzumaki, to have defeated such opponents without the bloodline to help him.'_

"Ah here we are Naruto-kun! You will come to find that similar to the old Uzugakure, Kiri has some trends that will never die when it comes to our clothing. I think you might enjoy the style compared to Konoha's." Naruto nodded and walked inside the clothing store, followed closely by the others.

Naruto noticed the 'trend' immediately and his face was marked with surprise, he was in total shock. Mei smirked knowingly and the ANBU snickered at his reaction to the clothing selection. All the clothing choices either had blue, black, or a white/black camo scheme to them, and Naruto felt overwhelmed. Mei gave him a little push and sent him on a quest to find his perfect outfit while she conversed with the shopkeeper.

Naruto walked through the many isles and found himself getting excited at all the different combination's of clothing he could choose from. He picked up a long sleeve, black shirt that looked like it's sleeves had been sewn on. The sleeves were in the urban camo scheme that were often seen on pants or undershirts and Naruto decided to choose it for his top. He also chose a camo undershirt to wear underneath it.

Next up were pants, and Naruto already knew his choice so he picked up a pair of pants identical to Chōjūrō's pair of camo pants that reached his feet. Between the end of the pant leg and his new black sandals were a pair of black, leather leggings that strapped tightly to his lower legs, covering up any skin that might have been shown.

Naruto walked back up to the counter and handed his clothing choice to the shop owner, who looked to the Mizukage. She smiled and placed a hand on Naruto's shoulder, signifying that he was taken care of as far as permission or prices go.

"We'll take a half a dozen of these exact outfits, please have them sent to the Terumi estate as soon as possible. Ready Naruto-kun?" Naruto looked up at her and nodded, and all five shinobi walked out in the direction of the Terumi compound.

"Naruto-san..I was..um wondering..what is in that large scroll?" Chōjūrō asked the question that had been on many of the shinobi's minds and Naruto looked at the Swordsman and smiled.

"It holds all my worldly possessions, and important clan things that I plan on sharing with Mei-chan at her house!" Mei looked at Naruto with a surprised look, she had not expected him to trust her so readily and she felt happy at the compliment.

_'He is very kind, I would do well not to break his trust.'_

"Ah I see." They continued their walk for sometime until they reached the Terumi compound, a large, walled-off area with artistic designs painted onto the barriers.

"Well, I suppose this is where we part ways Chōjūrō, ANBU. Chōjūrō please remain on call for the coming weeks, I believe I will need your help in training Naruto-kun." Chōjūrō looked at her and gave her a small smile, and saluted along with the other ANBU before placing his mask back on.

"Yes ma'am!" Mei looked to Naruto as soon as the three bodyguards disappeared and smiled, one of which he returned with his own grin.

"Ready to see my house Naruto-kun? I'm sure you'll enjoy it here!"

"I think so too Mei-chan! And I just want to say thank you...for everything you have done for me so far, I know you are taking a big risk in allowing me to stay, but I promise that I won't be a bother to you or Kirigakure!" Naruto announced, bowing low to the Mizukage but looked at her face when he felt her place a hand on his cheek.

Mei's face was now only a few inches from his and he felt himself unwillingly being brought closer to her, like a magnet to metal. He closed his eyes and waited for contact but soon felt a warm, wet sensation on his right cheek and he opened his eyes to see Mei pulling back from kissing him. He now had a faint blue imprint of her supple lips on his cheek, and he absently felt it in a lovestruck daze.

Mei giggled at how much he was blushing and felt herself getting a little warm too. She didn't know why she kissed him, but felt happy when she did it anyway.

"Naruto-kun, you don't have to thank me, I'm happy to help you. Your goal to revive your clan is an ambitious and difficult one, and I would love to help you in any way I can. I think you and I can get along _very_ well." She purred the last part before ushering a red Naruto into her estate, the recent turn of events were very interesting, Mei could honestly say that she was glad Naruto had come to Kiri.

* * *

"Wow!" Naruto stood in the main lobby to the large Terumi family mansion and noticed how big the sheer size of it was. The greeting room held the same blue marble columns of Mei's office yet blended them with many of the Terumi family heirlooms and designs that gave the room a very homey feel.

"This is it Naruto, my home. I often feel very lonely here, it will be nice to have someone else to live with." Naruto looked at her and she appeared to be a bit sad at the thought of living alone for so long, so he grabbed her hand squeezed it; the level of affection caused the surprised Kage to blush.

"I have lived alone my entire life, so I also share the yearning for company. I think that it will be a lot of fun living here with you Mei-chan, I hope you'll enjoy me being here!"

Naruto released her hand and gave her a foxy grin with a confident thumbs up, and it made her giggle. That sound sent Naruto's feelings haywire and caused him to just stare at the older woman's sheer level of beauty and grace. There was a sound that alerted them that someone was at the gate, and Mei quickly created a water clone to see who it was while she led Naruto to his bedroom on the second floor.

"This is your bedroom Naruto-kun, my own living area is right across the hall here. If you ever need anything, I'm just a few steps away." Naruto nodded and entered his new room.

It was sparsely furnished, obvious from the little activity in the Terumi estate but it held a bed and a study area with a few books to read. The walls were a dark blue and there was a single, large window on the opposite wall from the door, perfect for early morning sunrise. He saw a closet and stashed his scroll inside, too tired from carrying it everywhere with him. Naruto turned back to Mei who was now behind him, placing the clothes she received from her clone inside his closet.

"It's perfect Mei-chan, better than anywhere I've ever lived before!" Mei smiled and handed him a full outfit to change into, the shipment from the clothing store arrived earlier than she expected, meaning they might start training before tomorrow.

"I'm glad you think so Naruto-kun, please put on your new outfit. You'll need to wear it for our training tonight and I'm curious to see how you look in a _uniform_." She whispered the last part seductively into his ear and began to laugh as he blushed and ran straight to the bathroom, almost fast enough to be a Shunshin.

Two minutes later, Naruto walked out of the bathroom looking a bit hesitant to come out with his new outfit but he was given an order by his Mizukage and came out fully. She gasped in astonishment at how well it fit him, the clothing were a perfect size and Naruto truly looked good in the Kiri style.

"You look great Naruto! I don't know why your so hesitant to show it off, you look like you've been a Kiri shinobi for a long time. Now gather up all your clan scrolls and come out when you're done, I'll be waiting." Naruto nodded and went straight to his scroll, opening it up and pulled out his five clan scrolls.

He looked at them for a second, suddenly having suspicious thoughts on the Mizukage and her 'clan'.

_'What if she wants to steal these from me? No, she wouldn't do that, Mei-chan is different.'_

Naruto walked out with the scrolls under his arm and nodded to Mei who was leaning against the wall next to his room. She smiled and hugged him again, enveloping the two in a water typhoon. Naruto was starting to hope that Shunshining with Mei was going to become a trend, he was really enjoying the 'hugs'.

* * *

"Alright Naruto-kun, to begin, I'm going to teach you how to manipulate the Fire element. It is because Fire is the universal element in ou..your bloodline since you use it for both elements." Mei almost couldn't catch her slip up in the explanation but luckily Naruto was too focused on the teaching part that he didn't notice.

"To manipulate Fire, you must will your body to convert the chakra into heat by raising it's temperature. You will have to maintain that heat as you expel the Fire chakra from your body, it is integral to have strong chakra control for manipulating nature elements so you'll have to work very hard to control them, understand?" Naruto nodded his head vigorously and waited for Mei to to tell him what to do next.

Mei quickly went through a few hand signs and held up a tiger seal before expelling a large fireball across the training grounds right outside the Terumi mansion. Naruto watched her in wonder, he was going to learn how to do that?! Mei turned to face him and she gave him a smile.

"Your turn." Mei handed Naruto his family Fire scroll and allowed him to read off the basic fire jutsu and learn the hand signs. After a few minutes, Naruto stood up and took a position slightly in front of Mei and went through each hand sign with slow precision before yelling out the jutsu's name.

"**Grand Fireball!**"

Naruto shot a small stream of fire from his mouth and found himself slightly disappointed but he knew that it was because of his bad chakra control. He quickly went through the hand signs again and again, continuing to attempt the jutsu for the next half hour. Mei was astounded at his sheer stamina and willpower, most genin would've given up after the second try, Naruto was easily in the dozens and showed no signs of stopping.

It wasn't until the sun was setting did Naruto finally pull off a decent sized fireball before collapsing from sheer exhaustion. Mei silently gasped and moved to catch him, having his head fall into her lap as he laid there on the ground, tiredly staring into her emerald eye. She was very worried about Naruto, she thought he would have run out of chakra by now, and she was actually glad that he practically knocked himself out training before he hurt himself.

"Naruto-kun..you did wonderful! With your stamina and sheer determination to train, we'll be done in no time." Mei praised the blond and he gave her a happy yet very droopy smile and fluttered his eyes to stay awake a little longer.

"Thank you..Mei-sensei, I promise..to make you proud.." Naruto began to trail off as he started to fall asleep, her long hair had fallen over his face and tickled him back into consciousness, he absently mentioned something, feeling as though he were dreaming. "Mei-chan has such soft hair, smells like..an ocean shore."

Mei outright turned to a tomato from that, even she hadn't been expecting such a compliment from the genin. She smiled and shunshined to Naruto's room, laying him down on the bed and covering him up with the blanket. She leaned in close and hesitantly laid a kiss on his forehead, placing a hand on his chest while she whispered into his ear.

"Good night Naruto-kun, sweet dreams." And with that, she was gone, already in her own room. She stood in front of her bathroom mirror, looking at herself before preparing to go to bed. One quick shower later, she was in her see through night gown, only her undergarments kept her decent through the gown's sky blue fabric. She looked at the moon from her balcony, silently going over what has happened today, and came to the conclusion that it was definitely one of the more interesting days of her life.

She now had a friend...and a fellow Uzumaki 'pureblood' that survived the collapse of Uzugakure. She looked to her closet and saw her last gift from her mother, an Uzumaki kunoichi uniform and wondered if she would ever put it on, ever see the fabled Uzugakure ruins of her families birthplace. Maybe go there with Naruto, she mused.

* * *

"I'm sorry Tsunade, I couldn't find a trace of him. My last estimates put him headed East, across the ocean to the island nations." Jiraiya stood in the Hokage office speaking with a still depressed Tsunade. It had been some time since Jiraiya had left, and Tsunade had held out hope that he would find Naruto, yet there had been no luck.

Her tears began anew as she looked out the window over Konoha, why would Naruto leave his home?

"I will send a message to the Mizukage, surely she will help us." Jiraiya just nodded, not familiar with the new Mizukage.

_'Probably some old hag..but what if she was young and gorgeous and somehow the gaki got with her and they had a bunch of ki..wait NO WAY! Even my Icha Icha series doesn't get that far-fetched, there is just no way Naruto could pull that off.'_

Little did Jiraiya know that he _wasn't _far off, and that the copy of 'Icha Icha Uzumaki Chronicles' would have been the best selling book he would ever write..ever. Oh well, looks like G3rMan will have to pick up the slack with his fiction instead, hehe.

* * *

Done! Next chapter is all about bonding, training, and a little bit of deceit?!


	3. Training of the Uzumaki!

Uzumaki Clan's Rebirth

Chapter 3

Training of the Uzumaki!

**Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO!**

"speaking"

_'thinking'_

"**Jutsu**"

**"Tailed Beast Speak"**

NaruxMei

**BLOODLINE WARNING**: Naruto uses **Lava** and **Boil** Release in this story. He has three elements in total because of his bloodlimit, Fire, Water, and Earth.

* * *

_Fire Training_

"Mmm..Mei-chan stop..that tickles.." Naruto lay in his bed, dreaming about Mei and him laying in a field together, she was rubbing his whisker marks like he was a cat. Mei stood wide-eyed at his door, here to pick up Naruto for his training today, but was now listening closely to his words.

"Mei-chan..my marks..sensitive.." Mei decided that it wasn't _too_ perverted so she got to work waking him up, but it was easier said then done. She tried everything she could think of; poking him, throwing stuff at him, hell she even considered kissing him just to get him up! In the end, she settled for a devious smirk for her new plan and began forming hand signs, Naruto was still blissfully unaware.

"Oh Naruto.."

"**Violent Water Wave!**"

Mei shot a strong burst of water from her mouth and it impacted Naruto right in his face, causing him to wake up and start choking for air. His bed was drenched and his nightclothes were ruined, he looked to see Mei standing with her hands on her hips and a giant smirk on her face. Naruto sighed and gave Mei an apologetic smile.

"Sorry Mei-chan..I didn't mean to oversleep, I was just was having a great dream!" Naruto gave her a big thumbs up, making her giggle. She shook a finger at him, scolding the blond.

"It's okay Naruto, your up now, that's what matters. Get prepared in your new clothes and we'll head down to the training room together." Naruto nodded and went straight to his closet, grabbed his new clothes and was ready to change when he noticed Mei hadn't left, she appeared to be waiting for him to strip. Naruto blushed and sent her out, making the red head beauty pout and fake a few tears, he just laughed and began to change.

Soon enough, Naruto walked out and followed Mei down to the training grounds of the Terumi estate. They arrived and Naruto took out his Fire jutsu scroll and began to read from it while Mei quietly observed from a distance. Naruto brought his hands together in his trademark hand sign and yelled out his jutsu.

"**Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu!**"

Mei watched in awe as _hundreds_ of Naruto clones appeared from a giant cloud of smoke, each a perfect copy.

_'It must be a jutsu from Konoha..but how can he make so many? His chakra reserves must be huge to have that much stored..'_

"Alright! I want 200 of you perfecting our Fire manipulation and Shape manipulation! Another 200 will work on the **Grand Fireball Jutsu** and the last 250 will work with me on learning new Fire jutsu!"

All of the Naruto got into groups just as Naruto commanded and began to work on their assigned tasks, Naruto stood with his 250 clones and began to read his Fire Jutsu scroll. Mei watched all the clones begin their jobs flawlessly, each operating in perfect unity with one another and having the ability to use jutsu?! This _Shadow Clone Jutsu_ was an interesting technique indeed, Mei shunshined to Naruto and tapped him on the shoulder, she gave him a cute look.

"Naruto-kun, what's the point of having all these clones do different exercises, isn't it just a waste of chakra?" Naruto looked at her as if she was crazy but remembered that the **Shadow Clone Jutsu** was a Konoha hidden Jutsu, she would have no knowledge of its abilities.

Naruto smiled at the busty woman and scratched the back of his head in embarrassment.

"Oh, well I learn everything one of my clones learn when they dispel, so I can get this training done quicker!"

Mei was amazed at the jutsu's practicality when used outside of combat as well, she contemplated forcing Naruto to teach her, but that would break their trust. No matter how much of a gain it would be for Kiri, Mei wouldn't do that to Naruto.

She was content just watching him from a distance under a tree, he had begun to give out orders to his clones on some new Fire jutsu and she smiled at how well he had settled for his new training. She felt an incoming chakra and turned to face a newly arrived ANBU who was kneeling before her.

"Yes? What is it?" Mei asked, somewhat irritated that she was being interrupted.

"Mizukage-sama, your presence has been requested in the council hall." The ANBU stated before being dismissed with a wave. Mei grimaced, councilors were so _annoying_.

"Naruto!" Mei waved to him to get his attention, he looked over to her. "I have to go to a meeting, I'll be back soon! Don't overwork yourself!" She announced before shunshining away, leaving a dumbfounded Naruto, wondering what the meeting was about.

"Oh well, I have to get this jutsu down! I want to impress Mei-chan with my skills!" Naruto went back to the scroll and kept reading, his clones working hard to accomplish his tasks.

* * *

"The Mizukage has arrived." A masked ANBU announced to the seated councilors, most being civilians of prestigious families. They all stood in respect as the powerful woman entered and moved to her chair, taking a seat and removing her Kage hat.

"You may be seated." She said, waiting for everyone to sit before asking her question. "What was so urgent that you pulled me away from training our newest shinobi? It couldn't wait until the next meeting?" All the men frowned at their Kage's harsh tone, she had never respected them since she took office, animosity brought on by the Massacres. A wizened councilmen spoke for the rest, not shying away from her threats.

"That is the exact reason why we have called you here, so you can explain why you allowed a foreign ninja into our village, and not only that, but volunteered to train him _yourself_?! This is outrageous Mizukage-sama." Mei glared at the man named Kyo, he had been a thorn in her side for far too long. He had been against her ascension to Mizukage since the beginning, both for her gender and her bloodline, and it has brought her to have no respect for the man whatsoever.

She kept calm as she laced her hands together and held them in front of her face, in quiet deliberation. She talked with a cold, emotionless voice that sent a chill up every one of the councilor's spines.

"I am the Mizukage, Kyo, and my word is law. The shinobi I inducted into our corps is a _former_ ninja from Konoha, and he left on his own accord. I feel that he will be a valuable addition to our forces and due to some of his..unique abilities, I have taken the responsibility of being his teacher." The councilmen seemed content with this answer, but Kyo wasn't done yet.

"You only say that because he is an Uzu.." The man couldn't finish his accusation before Mei was in front of him, her hand around her throat. Instead of threatening the man with a smile, she wore an unbridled scowl on her face from pure anger that this man would dare bring up that name!

"How dare you! Do not insinuate I play favorites with a clan that I was _once_ a part of, that boy has no knowledge of my relation with him and it _will_ stay that way. If anyone can train him to harness our strong bloodline, it will be _me_! Now get out of my sight, I'm done here." The councilmen quickly filed out, Kyo was last, holding his throat from the pain.

Mei slowly walked around the table back to her seat, she laid a hand on her Kage hat and ran her hand over it. Her thoughts were conflicted on the issue of her once again being associated with the Uzumaki clan, something she wished not to relive.

_'I am no longer Mei Terumi Uzumaki..just Mei Terumi. Our clan willingly left behind our past to begin anew in Kirigakure, but why does it feel like, when I'm around Naruto...that I wish to be pulled back to the Uzumaki clan, willingly even? It's as if all past transgressions are forgotten, Naruto is a new light in the darkness for the Uzumaki, but should I embrace it..or try and keep the past in the shrouded darkness where I once felt it belonged?...'_

* * *

_Terumi Estate, Training Grounds_

"Ah! I have to work harder, I have to finish this jutsu before Mei-chan comes back!" Naruto huffed in frustration, he and his numerous clones had been focusing on a new fire jutsu for the past hour since Mei had left and he still hadn't gotten it.

_'Okay, the jutsu is called __**Combustion Ash Cloud**__, and I breathe out a flammable cloud of ash before igniting it by clicking my teeth. The problem I'm having is maintaining a steady flow of the flammable ash, because it requires great concentration to mold the air in my lungs into an ash.'_

"Okay, one more time!" Each of Naruto's clones went through the hand signs and started to shoot out ash from their mouths.

"**Combustion Ash Cloud Jutsu!**"

Naruto formed a well sized cloud of ash in front of him, it completely enveloped the wood training dummy on the field. He clicked his teeth together and the fuse ignited, the cloud exploded into a yellow and red flash, creating a small shock wave. Naruto watched his clones follow suit, silently hoping that Mei wouldn't be _too_ mad at the state of her clan's training grounds.

The fiery ash slowly dissipated and Naruto watched anxiously for the effect of his new jutsu, and had large smile on his face upon seeing his handiwork. The entire front of the training dummie was blackened charcoal, slowly crumbling off from the rest of the object. Naruto looked to see similar results on other areas of the training field, blackened remains of trees, grass, and soot-stained grass was the common view.

Naruto suddenly heard the sound of clapping and looked in the direction to find none other than Mei, she was sitting in a tree and smiling brightly at him. He heard more clapping and looked into another patch of trees to find no less than a dozen ANBU, led by the swordsman Chōjūrō, and they all looked quite pleased with his performance, even with their masks on.

Mei appeared behind him and hugged Naruto from behind, her breasts squished against his back, making him blush. She whispered into his ear, sending lightning jolts through his senses.

"That was amazing Naruto-kun, I'm so proud of you!" Naruto hesitantly got out of her grip and turned to face her. He scratched the back of his head from embarassment and watched the ANBU walk up behind the Mizukage.

"T-thank you but...how long were you all watching me?" Mei smiled brightly and jabbed a finger into his chest.

"Since you yelled out in frustration that you had to finish the jutsu before I came back! The ANBU appeared at the same time, they escorted me here and stayed to watch the show."

Naruto blushed again out of embarrassment, why did she have to hear that! Naruto gave another appraising eye to the training field and turned back to a smiling Mei before bowing low, surprising both her and the other Kiri ninja.

"Please forgive me Mei, I didn't mean to ruin your training fields for my jutsu!" Mei understood why he was saddened but didn't understand why it mattered, it was a _training_ field after all! She placed a comforting hand on his shoulder and spoke softly to the boy.

"Don't worry Naruto-kun, this is a training field after all, I was expecting it to receive damage like this with your fire training. We'll be working on Fire for another month so I need you at your top shape, don't worry so much about little things like this, okay?" She finished, smiling at the awed boy beneath her. All the ANBU nodded their heads in agreement with the Mizukage, the kid was too hard on himself.

Chōjūrō moved to be in front of Naruto and took off his mask, smiling brightly at the boy. He set a friendly hand on the boy's shoulder.

"Yes N-naruto-san..You can't worry about little..stuff like this, i guess..If you'll be training under me, you'll have to be strong!" Naruto looked dumbfounded at this info and looked to Mei who sent a playful yet cold glare at Chōjūrō, shutting the boy up quickly.

"Is it true Mei-chan? I get to learn from Chōjūrō too!?" Mei gave Naruto a nervous smile and nodded her head slowly.

"Yes, Naruto-kun. As soon as you can handle using all three of our nature elements, your training will be split up into three, hopefully manageable parts. First, you will train with me in learning how to harness, manipulate, and use **Lava** and **Boil** release. You will also train alongside Chōjūrō and the remaining Swordsmen here in Kiri, you will perfect your basic elemental chakra, learn Kenjutsu, and learn the mass of jutsu that you will employ as a shinobi here in Kiri. Finally, I believe that you said you took some family jutsu that you discovered with you here, so you'll get to learn those in your free time. I hope that you aren't angry that I made up your training regime without your consent, but it seemed like something you..would..enjoy? Naruto, are you alright?" Mei trailed off in her explanation when she saw Naruto begin to cry, and everyone was shocked when Naruto hugged the Mizukage tightly, smothering himself into her bosom but not perversely.

Mei was surprised by the turn of events but thought nothing of them before she wrapped her arms around the fragile boy, giving him the comfort he sought. The ANBU stood there in awe that the Mizukage hadn't reprimanded the boy for touching her so intimately, but figured that they were just comforting one another. A teary eyed Naruto looked up into Mei's emerald eye and tried to smile, attempting to form coherent words in his mouth.

"Mei..thank you!" Naruto didn't trust himself to say anything more and just clung to the young woman, who just smiled and held him close to her. He fell asleep just leaning on her, still crying tears of happiness in his sleep. Mei picked him up and dismissed the dutiful ANBU who had stayed the entire time, truly touched by the young man and his show of appreciation.

Mei took him to his room and laid him down on the bed, quickly covering him up and just watched him sleep. She absently stroked his blond locks, wondering how he kept it spiked up like that all the time. Mei soon realized that it was getting late and that she really should leave Naruto to sleep, so she got up and started to leave, sending one more smile to the sleeping boy.

She left his room keeping the smile on her face, remembering just how much fun it was with Naruto here, how much he had affected her. Mei was forced to awaken from her thoughts when an ANBU messenger arrived from a mist cloud in the hallway, kneeling before her.

"Mizukage-sama, you have received an urgent message that is to be read in the Mizukage Suite." Mei nodded but held up a hand to stop the ANBU from leaving, and the man dutifully stayed, waiting for further orders.

"ANBU, do you know who the message is from?" The ANBU spared a glance at the Mizukage's now worried face and knew why, Jounin rank ninja and above had all been briefed on the Uzumaki runaway.

"It is as we have feared ma'am, Konoha must be searching for him."

* * *

_Mizukage Suite_

"Where is the message?" Mei exclaimed as she burst through the office doors, choosing to take the stairs this time to get to her office. It allowed her time to gather her thoughts on the message Konoha had sent and what she would do.

In front of her stood Kyo and three other councilmen, all awoken from their sleep for an emergency meeting on the priority message sent from Konohagakure. Kyo begrudgingly stepped aside and motioned towards her desk, giving her a view of the rolled up message, awaiting the Mizukage's seal to open it.

Rarely did Kage send messages that required a fellow Kage to be present to have to open it, this meant that Konoha either was asking for their help in finding Naruto..or accusing them of kidnapping the boy and threatening war.

"This is it, Mizukage. We have been waiting for you to arrive so that we may see what Konoha deemed necessary to send us." The Mizukage almost growled at the lack of respect Kyo showed, but realized that it would just make a scene, something she didn't need right now.

Mei picked up the scroll and walked around the desk to sit in her chair, she reached into her desk drawer and pulled out the official Mizukage stamp, the symbol of Kirigakure. She pressed it onto the correct spot on the seal and it shined brightly before calming itself, allowing the Mizukage to open the scroll and read. She read the short message with practiced precision and quick decision making skills suited for someone in her position of power, but inside she was shaking at the implications.

_To Mei Terumi, Godaime Mizukage of Kirigakure_

_I, the Godaime Hokage of Konohagakure urgently request your village's aid in finding a ninja who has left my village under vague circumstances. His name is Naruto Uzumaki, and my information network has led me to believe him heading to the east of Fire Country, towards Kiri and the old Uzugakure ruins. Inside, I have placed a __**complete**__ dossier of the genin in question, and I hope that you can identify, detain, and return him as soon as possible to Fire Country borders._

_I am aware that we have no treaty with one another and that you are under no obligation to heed my request, but I beg of you. Think of this as a personal favor to myself if you must, this boy is very important to me, and I wish to have him come back, come back to his home. He has stated that he does not wish to come back, but I believe he has not told me the real reason behind leaving and I am afraid he might do something rash on his own._

_Please, I urge you to keep an eye out for Naruto and allow him to come home, that is all I want._

_Sincerely,_

_Tsunade Senju, Godaime Hokage of Konohagakure_

Mei set the scroll down and did her best to keep a calm demeanor on the outside, but she silently cursed when she noticed her hands were shaking. What could she do about this request from Tsunade? She sounded very close to Naruto and it was as if Tsunade herself was the one telling her the contents of the message, begging Mei while on her knees to return the blond boy. The Councilmen dare not pick up the scroll and read, anxiously waiting for the Mizukage to say something.

"Well, Mizukage-sama? What is the word from Konoha, are they under attack?" Mei turned to the soft spoken councilmen and only shook her head negatively.

"It appears as though they wish us to keep an eye out for a little blond genin, one that is still considered to be part of Konoha's ninja corps. However.." Mei stood up from her chair and turned her back to the councilors, choosing to look out the large window and view the village. She focused on what should be her estate off in the distance, almost seeing Naruto sleeping soundly there, there in _Kiri_, not in Konoha.

"However..I know of no such ninja from Konoha that goes by that name here. The only Naruto Uzumaki I know of is a promising Kiri genin that lives in the Terumi Compound, surely a Konoha ninja would have no place in _my_ own house, correct?" She glanced at the Councilmen, looking for an answer to her rhetorical question, and she received nods from each, even Kyo. She smiled, glad to see that the council agreed that Naruto could stay.

She sat back down in her chair and pulled out an official Mizukage message scroll and wrote a reply back to Konoha, stating that they would keep an eye out for the genin. She handed it to her quickest messenger-nin and the shinobi left in a shunshin, leaving her to dismiss the council and head back home.

On her walk back, she never once questioned her decision to keep Naruto there, for it was he who had asked to stay. Mei also wished him to stay, even though it had only been two weeks since his arrival, the blond had garnered her attention like no other could and she wasn't sure of her opinon on that effect. All she knew was that when the Uzumaki would smile or say something to her, all she could do was smile back and feel warm inside, something that scared and excited her at the same time.

Upon arrival at the Terumi estate, she peeked into Naruto's room and found him in the same spot she left him, a big smile on his face. She smiled at the sight of him, knowing that her decision was right, that he truly _belonged_ here. She went to bed herself with a smile and a simple thought running through her mind that held her happy mood together for that night, and the many nights to follow.

_'Welcome home Naruto Uzumaki, this is truly where you belong...'_

* * *

_8 months later_

"Hey Mei-chan, do you think that we can have some ramen after my big test today?"

Naruto sat with Mei in the Terumi house kitchen, both sat in high top chairs eating some quick breakfast on the kitchen's island counter. The room was a dazzling mix of blue marble and pure paint for the wall color that made it look as though the entire room was submerged underwater.

Mei looked to Naruto and was reminded once again of Naruto's addiction to ramen, something that was a rare thing found in Kiri; so rare was it that Naruto was forced to eat other foods as his _main_ diet and having to ration his ramen stores for big occasions.

Today _was_ a big occasion, Mei was going to test Naruto on his Fire, Earth, and Water affinities, and if he passed, she would allow him to move on to what she had dubbed 'Advanced' training. It would follow the training regime that she had told Naruto about almost eight months ago, officially getting him on the track to becoming a great Kiri ninja.

"Yes Naruto-kun, I think that I can manage to cook that!" Naruto giggled at the thought of Mei cooking, since she wasn't very good at it! He had seen her burn everything from pork to white rice and even sushi, he sometimes wondered if she just used a fire jutsu on the food instead of cooking it with the oven!

Mei faked a frown and glared at him when he started to laugh at her admittedly abysmal cooking skill, it wasn't her fault she never was taught how to cook! Luckily, Naruto had taken to cooking for the two of them in his stay at the Terumi house, and he always cooked her favorites, something she greatly appreciated after taking care of paperwork all day. She appraised Naruto with a practiced eye, the boy had grown some in the past few months.

He had reached about to her shoulders in height, since when he had first arrived, he had only been able to reach her chest, something that was very comical to her. His muscles had grown substantially from the early conditioning training that she had Chōjūrō put him through, and he filled out his Kiri outfit _very_ nicely. She blushed at the thought of thinking of her student and friend like that, but as a voluptuous woman like her self, she was very good at identifying good looking men.

"Hey Mei-chan, are you okay? You look a little flushed.." Naruto was waving a hand in front of her face to get her attention, she appeared to be thinking about something very intensely.

"Oh what? I'm fine, let's go start your training now okay Naruto?" Naruto just nodded and silently shook his head at the woman's antics, he would never understand girls.

* * *

_Terumi Training Grounds_

"Okay Naruto! First part of the test will be Fire manipulation, show me the first jutsu I ever taught you!"

Mei stood off to the side, behind the boy to avoid his jutsu and critiqued many things about him as he went through the hand motions and finally using the technique itself. She worked Naruto very hard to ensure he was not only quick on his feet but could accomplish jutsu and tactical thinking under fire, _literally_.

Mei remembered teaching him on how to think quickly in a battle situation, she made him stand on a bed of lava, the first few times were just Mei watching Naruto dance on the hot lava. She was awoken from her reverie when Naruto yelled out the technique's name.

"**Grand Fireball!**"

Naruto shot the fireball straight into a nearby tree and resisted using one of his water jutsu to put it out, instead allowing Mei to quickly put it herself. He was taking the test very seriously, and he could very well be failed if he was to do anything out of sequence during the test time, he couldn't lose focus.

"Next jutsu, the first one you taught _yourself_!" Naruto went through the hand seals and exhaled a large smog of ash from his mouth, filling a large area with the flammable substance. Naruto had perfected this jutsu before moving onto the next, making sure he could use it effectively, and the work paid off.

"**Combustion Ash Cloud Jutsu!**"

Naruto clicked his teeth and ignited the grey fuel source, causing the cloud to turn red and yellow in extreme heat, burning anything within the cloud. Mei observed what remained of the straw dummies and was proud to say that she _could not_ observe anything, because it had all been burnt away.

"Next Jutsu! Give me something that can be used on multiple targets!"

Naruto sifted through his memory banks in less than a second and came across a basic but extremely versatile Fire jutsu that he had seen used many times. He went through the hand seals and held a hand up to his mouth to form the fire into the perfect shape.

"**Phoenix Flower Jutsu!**"

Naruto shot at least two dozen small fireballs into the surrounding landscape, allowing Mei to clean up the mess once again. She smiled, Naruto had almost proven to her that he had perfected the basic knowledge of the Fire nature.

_'Just one more..'_

"Okay Naruto, I'll need a little more proof than that! Impress me!" Naruto smirked at that, he quickly went through hand signs he had seen the Third Hokage once do. Mei was interested, she couldn't identify this jutsu off the top of her head, this could be interesting.

"**Fire Dragon Flame Bomb!**"

Naruto pulled his hands away from his mouth and lowered them into a bent stance level with his hips, away from the blaze that was about to be released from his mouth. His mouth opened and he shot forth white hot flames in a beeline in front of him, extending the jutsu's release as far as he could maintain.

It was like a perfectly aimed flamethrower, but it required careful concentration and shape manipulation to contain the precise aim and how long the jutsu lasted. Naruto held the jutsu for around ten seconds before he stopped, not wanting to tire himself when he had two more elements to go.

Mei stood behind the boy, amazed at the careful aim and the sheer heat that the jutsu created. She observed the flame's path and could not see any grass, trees, or shrubbery that were once in the flame's path, only a charred, blackened line.

"Very good Naruto! You pass the first test, take a five minute breather before we move on to the Earth release!" Naruto nodded and sat on the ground, taking deep breathes trying to regain some of the oxygen he used when he did his Fire jutsu.

Mei waited out the five minutes just watching Naruto, happily reminding herself that he was still here, even after all this time. After she had sent the message of confirmation back to Konoha, she sadly thought of how Tsunade must have been hoping that she would 'find' Naruto, but it was to no avail.

Mei asked Naruto his opinion on the message and if he really wanted to go back the following morning, he replied with a deep frown and slow shake of the head. Konoha had yet to give up their search for him, but as far as public knowledge, Mei heard that everyone there thought he was dead.

It saddened her to think that she had somehow deprived Naruto of his old life, but she was always reminded of how he wanted to be here when he would always smile at her, at Kiri. Everyone had grown to love Naruto and his friendly ways, even Kyo had taken a liking to the boy. She was glad that Naruto integrated so well inside of a new village so quickly, surely anyone else would have much difficulty, but not Naruto.

"Okay Naruto, time for Earth release techniques. Show me a defensive technique first, something Earth is well known for."

"Right!" Naruto went through the motions and yelled out his jutsu's name.

"**Earth Style: Mud Wall Jutsu!**"

Naruto opened his mouth and mud spilled out in front of him an a small arc, but looks were deceiving as the wall grew as tall as the Terumi household thanks to the fairly large amount of chakra Naruto input into the jutsu. Mei nodded at his handiwork and Naruto quickly released the Jutsu and watched the stone wall slowly crumble down.

"Next up, give me a basic offensive jutsu!" She watched Naruto put his hands up into a single hand sign and focus a moderate amount of chakra into specific points in the ground nearby, all spots with practice dummies. Mei smirked.

_'Here comes the best part..'_

"**Earth Release: Rising Stone Spears!**"

Suddenly, the ground cracked under the dummies and large stone spikes skewered each right through their chests, piercing what would be a person's heart. All of it was done simultaneously, and Mei did a quick head count.

_'If this were a real battle, Naruto would have killed five enemy shinobi in less than three seconds..impressive.'_

"Nice job! Time for the finale, give me a combo attack featuring two Earth jutsu!" Naruto had been caught off guard for only half a second before quickly placing his hands in the hand sign for his first jutsu choice.

"**Earth Style: Great Mud River!**"

Starting from in front of Naruto's feet and going at least a dozen more feet in front of him, a small river of mud appeared from the ground, shooting forward with no intended target. Naruto went through three more hand signs and watched as the mud transformed to accomodate a large dragon head that popped up from the river. As it opened its mouth, Naruto announced his final jutsu collaboration move.

"**Earth Release: Earth Dragon Bullet!**"

From it's mouth, the dragon shot three mud balls at three training dummies, enough to completely drown the targets or to use a follow up technique to finish off the opponent. Mei smiled at the display and mentally checked Earth release as a 'pass' on Naruto's test.

_'Two down, one to go.'_

"Another five minutes and then we can finish this boring test!" Naruto just looked at the woman and gave a weary smile, wiping off some mud that had gathered at the edge of his mouth from the Mud Wall.

"Alright Naruto, let's start! Give me a Water Clone!" Naruto focused on the nearby pond and sent the molded chakra to take form with the water, manipulating it into the shape and look of himself. A perfect water clone copy.

"Next up, show me a technique used to detain opponents!" Naruto pushed his clone into the pond and stood on the water, going through a variety of hand signs right in front of his dazed clone.

"**Water Prison!**" Naruto held both hands in front of him towards the clone and a water ball fit around the clone, entrapping it. Naruto left one hand inside to maintain the technique while the other was free to move around.

"Alright, those are done. Release that jutsu and leave the clone, you'll need it later." Naruto released the water prison and his clone stood on the water next to Naruto, waiting for orders.

"I want a simple Water offensive technique, Go!"

"Here we go! **Water Release: Violent Water Wave!**" Naruto shot a concentrated stream of water out of his mouth while maintaining the Tiger hand sign with one hand with the other at his mouth, shaping the water into the concentrated stream. He shot it straight at a tree, almost uprooting it from the sheer pressure but he released it too soon and the excess water fell to the ground.

"Good enough, now show me an offensive attack with shape manipulation!" Naruto thought of a reasonable attack and smirked, quickly going through hand signs while facing his nearby clone.

_'Haku used this on Sasuke, at least that's what the teme told me.'_

"**Thousand Flying Water Needles of Death!**"

Naruto quickly pushed away from the doomed clone as hundreds of water droplets filled the air and were quickly shaped into needles, the only blindspot being above the clone. The needles went straight for the kill, piercing the clone in dozens of spots, completely annihilating it. Mei began to clap and signaled the end of the test.

"Alright Naruto-kun, you passed all three tests! You're moving on up to the Advanced training now!" Naruto looked at her and lazily pumped a fist into the air in mock excitement.

"Woophee!" Naruto said with a breathless voice before collapsing onto the ground into a dreamless sleep, Mei was upon him immediately checking for injuries of any kind.

She cursed herself for not moving to catch him, but it had been too late for her to do anything, so she shunshined to his room and once again laid him to rest on his bed. She flared her chakra and Chōjūrō appeared without his mask on, he observed his surroundings and walked up to the Mizukage. She stood at Naruto's bedside, absently stroking his cheek with a slight frown adorning her perfect face.

"Yes, um..Mizukage-sama?" Mei just now seemed to notice the teenager and gave a worried smile to the other blond, trying to play off her concerns for Naruto.

"I just called you here to let you know that we will be moving to Phase II of his training. He passed the basics of elemental jutsu and manipulation, we will begin to _really_ teach him now." Chōjūrō just nodded and looked at the boy, as if trying to read his strength with just a look.

"I understand the training Mizukage-sama..but..um.." Chōjūrō scratched his head, nervous about questioning the Mizukage's will. She only smiled and set a hand on his shoulder, silently nodding for him to continue. He gulped and finished allaying his concerns.

"But why are we pushing him so hard and so quickly? It can't be because of Konoha so what do we have to prepare him for that could be so dangerous?" Mei looked out the window and away from Chōjūrō, silently remembering a memory from a few months ago.

"Naruto...revealed a secret of his to me not too long ago, and since then, I have realized how important it is for him to get stronger in the quickest amount of time. That is why I need your expertise Chōjūrō and every other Kiri ninja to help me train Naruto." The Mizukage cryptically explained the threat to Naruto's life because of the thing he contained, the Nine Tails.

Naruto had revealed his Jinchuuriki status to Mei upon feeling as though he could truly trust her, and in the end, Mei was not all too surprised. His stamina was god-like, his chakra reserves were off the charts, and his irregular birth marks fit descriptions of past changes in other cases of Jinchuuriki appearance change, but it felt good to hear him say it to her personally.

He then told her of the threat Akatsuki posed, an organization she had only bits and pieces of knowledge about. He had told her enough however, to elicit her concerns and immediate attentions, since then she had made Naruto would be ready for when _they_ came.

"I understand Mizukage-sama, by the end of the next year, he should be ready for anything that can be thrown at him, I swear on my honor as a Swordsman of the Mist I will not fail in my training with Naruto." Mei smiled at Chōjūrō and his willingness to see to Naruto's training personally, the two had become good friends since he had arrived and she was glad to have him aboard.

The busty Kage took one more longing look at Naruto and then kissed him on the cheek, a rare gesture that sent her senses haywire, always asking for more. She walked away, followed dutifully by Chōjūrō and finished her thoughts on the matter of Naruto's training.

"I _know_ he will be ready, he is an Uzumaki after all!"

As if Naruto could hear her, his smile widened a bit and his cheeks flushed with color at the compliment.

* * *

Done! Small training time skips throughout the next chapter. I hope these three chapters in quick succession can tide you over until the next one, since, well I haven't written it yet :P. Not sure if I'll release the next one on Friday or Saturday, one of those two! Tell me what you think of Naruto and his advanced training coming up, any ideas or predictions are always appreciated in your wonderful reviews!

REVIEW!

Bye Bye


	4. Training a Hero Culmination of Hard Work

Uzumaki Clan's Rebirth

Chapter 4

Training a Hero, Culmination of Hard Work!

**Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO!**

"speaking"

_'thinking'_

"**Jutsu**"

**"Tailed Beast Speak"**

NaruxMei

**BLOODLINE WARNING**: Naruto uses **Lava** and **Boil** Release in this story. He has three elements in total because of his bloodlimit, Fire, Water, and Earth.

Because this is another training chapter and a big leap in the NaruxMei relationship, I felt that it would be easier to just release this one now for more build up to the story. I also thought of it as a gift for the wonderful turn out for the reviews and favorites I've gotten so far, but I'll warn you now and at the end of the chapter,** the next chapter will be the FINAL timeskip skip, moving onto the shippuden time line**. **Naruto will be 16 and Mei will be 28** and their **relationship will expand **again, but that's all I'll say for now. You actually get to see a little action in the next chapter too, and it will stop building up to Naruto's greatness and actually show how he struts his stuff, so to speak.

The story will be divided into **ROUGHLY** _THREE ARCS!_

1. The Kirigakure arc. This is where we are now

2. Uzugakure Restoration arc. This is where we are going

3. Uzugakure, 6th Elemental Nation arc. This is where it will end

* * *

_Lava and Boil Release Training, One Week Later_

"Alright Naruto, are you ready to learn Lava and Boil release?" Mei asked the blond, they stood in the Terumi training grounds, prepared to start Naruto's advanced training.

"Yes, Mei-sensei!" Mei smiled at his enthusiasm, he had been jumping up and down all morning.

"Before we begin, you must understand how to manipulate two elements to create a new chakra nature. Only then will you be able to use your Kekkei Genkai to effectively mix the molding chakra together. Now then, I want you to gather a sizable amount of mud in your mouth _while_ trying to conjure a fireball from your lungs!" Naruto was confused, how was he supposed to do that?

Naruto started to mix his saliva with Earth natured chakra, slowly forming it into a muddy substance; at the same time, he attempted to focus the air in his esophagus into a heated blaze, ready to shoot out of his mouth. He found it incredibly difficult, it was like trying to walk left and right at the same time.

"You can't do it, can you?" Mei asked rhetorically, she enjoyed seeing Naruto try to do the impossible, it suited him. Naruto spit out some mud and shook his head, ashamed he couldn't follow through with her order.

Mei set a comforting hand on his shoulder, making him look at his sensei.

"The point was to show that you _can't_ do it Naruto, you silly little man. I wanted to show you why your Kekkei Genkai is so unique, and why it made the Uzumaki so powerful. Normal shinobi would have to mix their chakra like what you just tried, making it impossible for them to conjure a lava ball like I tried to make you do." Naruto was interested in this, so that was why other shinobi had not mastered the advanced elements, they couldn't do them at all!

"So..how does my Kekkei Genkai allow me to do what others can't?" Mei was glad he asked, learning how to do a technique was one thing, learning how it is done and it's mechanics are integral to the training process.

"The Kekkei Genkai we share allows are bodies to _naturally_ mold Fire and Earth at the same time, thanks to ancestors who have long since past. For example, a normal shinobi, to accomplish a lava jutsu, would have to combine two nature chakra types while trying to mold them together like he would attempt a normal jutsu, impossible! We, on the other hand, mold our chakra using hand signs for the lava jutsu, and our body _automatically_ combines the Earth and Fire chakra for us!"

Naruto stared at her wide eyed, the advantages of kekkei genkai were amazing, Naruto almost felt as though he was..cheating.

"That's amazing Mei-sensei, with that kind of advantage, we could take on almost any enemy shinobi with our wide variety of Jutsu!" Mei laughed at his summary, and while it was somewhat true, she didn't want Naruto to go down the overconfident path many bloodline users did. She scolded him with playfulness evident in her tone, but the message was very serious.

"Now Naruto, you have to make sure that you _always_ take an opponent seriously, just because you have something others don't, doesn't mean you will always win. Understand?" Naruto saluted and nodded, understanding her lesson.

_'I won't become like Sasuke..I am better than that!'_

"Right Mei-chan! So..how exactly _do_ I make a Lava jutsu?" Mei wanted slap herself, she talked about it enough, now Naruto needs to actually learn it!

"Oh, sorry Naruto-kun. Let's start with something basic, like...**Lava Release: Lava Bullet**. It is a simple jutsu that I use very often, so often in fact that I don't use hand signs anymore. For you Naruto, you should only need the Dog hand sign to do so, check your scroll for more."

Naruto read through his scroll, the list had _dozens_ of Lava jutsu, making Naruto giddy to learn all of them, he found the one in question and found a small diagram with hand seals and a description of the technique. The user would morph his Lava chakra into bullets inside of his mouth, similar in technique to mud or water bullets. The user would then shoot the blobs in rapid succession, almost like a **Fire Release:** **Phoenix Flower**.

"Alright Mei-sensei, I'm ready!" Mei held up her hand for him to stop, confusing the blond.

"Just to warn you, although our bloodlines do make us impervious to the dangers of the Boil and Lava release, you should be careful to watch your allies. They do not share the natural defenses our bodies have, and you could very well kill someone on accident. Shoot for that tree right there, to show me your accuracy." Mei pointed out a random tree, a bit far away from the rest.

Naruto faced the tree and formed the dog hand sign slowly, to make sure he got it right. Naruto opened his mouth and shot out the first lava glob that formed, a mass of dark red and glowing yellow/orange magma. Naruto continued to 'spit' out the globs, each somewhat smaller than the last, and was satisfied to see each hit the target, slowly melting the tree and solidifying into a grey rock, ash kicking up into the air when what was left of the tree toppled over.

"Nice job Naruto-kun!" Naruto wiped a bit of lava spittle from his lip, surprised he was able to touch it without burning.

_'Just like Earth jutsu, looks like Lava is gonna be messy.'_

"Yeah, it tends to get a little messy when you use Lava jutsu Naruto, but it's worth it." Mei had noticed him wipe off the Lava drool as she had nicknamed it.

"Alright! Any other type of Lava release for today Mei-sensei? I'll definitely have to practice these advanced natures though, it takes a lot out of me to just do a simple jutsu like the **Lava Bullet**." Mei understood, eventually Naruto's body and chakra would adapt to the new element and it wouldn't tire him as much.

"Let's see...how about we try another simple one? Work our way up until we get you to some of the most powerful jutsu the Uzumaki were known for?" Naruto's eyes widened and he started jumping for joy, he would get to learn his clan's hidden Jutsu!

"You should try this one Naruto, it only requires the Tiger and Dog hand signs. It's called **Lava Release: Bed of Lava**. It's similar to the Mud River jutsu except that it covers the battlefield in a bed of Lava _while_ shaking the ground, making it dangerous to your enemies unless they can stay on their feet." Naruto nodded and looked over the jutsu a few times before getting up and trying it.

"**Lava Release:** **Bed of Lava**!" Naruto stomped his foot on the ground and everything began to shake before Lava started to seep out of invisible holes in the ground, covering the soil. Mei had already sent chakra to her feet as did Naruto, Lava was difficult to stand on until it cooled and solidified.

"Nice job Naruto..Naruto?" Naruto began to wobble on his feet, tipping forward and backward before he began to fall face first towards the ground. Mei leapt forward and caught the tired boy, he expended more energy than she originally believed he would.

"Come on Naruto, let's take a little break. I'll tell you about Boil release while we get your strength back up." Mei led him over to a tree to get away from the sun's rays, today was one of the rare, clear sky days, no mist to be found.

Mei grabbed one of Naruto's already prepared ramen cups and handed it to him, but he could barely lift his arms.

"I'm sorry..Mei-sen..sei..I feel..really weak..dammit!" Naruto felt so embarrassed not being able to lift his own damn arm, but Mei just smiled. She made it so his back was against the tree and she knelt beside him, ramen and chopsticks in hand.

"Don't worry Naruto-kun..I'll feed you." Naruto was shocked, Mei was going to feed him? She used the chopsticks to grab a sizeable amount of the noodles and held it in front of Naruto.

"Say 'Ah', Naruto." Mei thought he looked so cute, blushing from embarrassment. She had to admit though, even she felt a bit warm doing this, it felt so _nice_.

"Ah." Naruto opened his mouth and Mei guided the noodles in, allowing him to chew before she got more. As Naruto ate, he felt deja vu all over again, bringing himself back to the day of survival training, the test to see if he could truly be a genin.

_'Sakura-chan..she didn't seem to enthusiastic when she fed me back then, like it was a chore. Mei seems to not mind at all though..even though I feel weak right now and I should feel embarrassed, Mei's smile always gives me the feeling that it doesn't matter to her what I am, she would like me anyway.'_

"All done! You sure are a pig, Naruto!" Naruto hadn't even noticed that he was done eating and closed his mouth, feeling full.

"Now then, Boil release is..how can I put this..complicated. Naruto, can you tell me what usually happens when Fire and Water jutsu combine?" Naruto went through an imaginary battle in his head and watched a Fireball hit a Water wall, steam and water vapor were created and the Water wall made the Fireball dissipate.

"Um..steam and heated water is created, and Water wins?" Mei wanted to laugh at his simplicity, but kept it to herself.

"That's about right, it's very difficult to use two polar opposites together as a nature element, wouldn't you think Naruto?" Naruto just nodded his head, he would have thought it impossible had it not been for his bloodline.

"Well, in a way, it is impossible. Boil release is complicated to maintain and the mechanisms behind it sometimes confuse _me_. The go-to jutsu that I most often use is called **Boil Release: Skilled Mist**, and it creates a mist that is extremely acidic to our enemies. The thing is, there really isn't much else that you can manipulate with such a delicate element, so I generally don't really think of any other jutsu that can be used. I encourage you to try and make up your own though Naruto, it would be a glorious sight." Mei finished her explanation and again smiled at Naruto's level of interest in her teachings, he looked like he hung off of every word she said.

"Wow..Mei-sensei, you are so smart! I promise to make a new jutsu in the Boil Release, and then I'll teach it to you myself!" Naruto gave her a weak thumbs up and Mei giggled, happy that Naruto hadn't lost his cheerful personality.

_'He might very well do it too, Naruto is full of surprises.'_

"Naruto, would you like to call it a day or try the Boil Release?" Naruto thought about it and how his body was feeling.

_'I think I can move now, what the hell. Let's try it!'_

"I'm ready to go Mei-sensei!" Mei smiled at his tenacity and stood up, working out the kinks in her back from kneeling the entire time. She offered a hand to Naruto and he took it, allowing the woman to pull him up.

"Alright Naruto, it only has one hand sign, Horse. As you feel the misty vapor coming up your esophagus, just open your mouth and allow it to leave on it's own accord. Maintain the hand sign until you have the desired area of mist, and if you practice enough, you won't even have to hold the hand sign to generate the mist."

Naruto formed the Horse hand seal and molded his chakra, he felt a relaxing mist tickle up his esophagus, and he opened his mouth when it reached the top. He saw an almost colorless mist seep out from the opening, the mist spread out and moved farther away from Naruto, making him unable to see the area of effect. It was difficult to explain, but he could_ feel_ it, and he knew just how far to extend the mist before putting his hands down and closing his mouth. Naruto looked at Mei with a questioning gaze, and she looked at him with a proud smile.

"Is this all there is to it Mei-sensei?" Mei nodded and pointed to the area that the mist enclosed.

"Yes Naruto, if there was a person in there, their skin would be burning and peeling off right now, it's quite an agonizingly painful jutsu." Naruto scratched his chin and observed the jutsu, wondering how it dispersed if it could maintain itself without a hand sign.

"So, Mei-sensei, if you can't cancel the jutsu by dropping a hand sign, then what do you do?" Mei looked at him with a smile, reminding her of when she first learned to harness the jutsu.

_'I asked the same exact thing.'_

"Well Naruto, do you have this strange feeling of 'awareness' about the cloud of mist, as if you can _feel_ it?" Naruto nodded and Mei smiled, a quick learner. "You have to use that feeling and 'will' the acidity of the mist to go back to a normal level; in turn, you can also _increase_ the acidity of the mist. Beginners often use the Horse hand seal to help them control it, makes it easier to sense the chakra."

Naruto formed the Horse hand sign and focused on his awareness of the cloud of mist, willing it and the chakra maintaining it to be weaker and weaker, until he could no longer feel the tingly sensation. Mei held up a ram hand sign and sensed for the chakra mist, to see if Naruto dispersed it correctly, and she smiled upon seeing he did so.

"So how did I do for today, Mei-sensei?" Naruto asked as they began to walk back to the estate, happy with his early progress.

_'I didn't mess up on a single jutsu, I rock!'_

"If you keep up this pace of learning, I might just run out of things to teach you before this year is over with." She complimented, setting a hand on his shoulder. Naruto was overjoyed by the praise, he couldn't wait until tomorrow when he started his Swordsman training.

The two entered the Terumi estate and went straight upstairs, intent on taking a nap from the tiring day so far. Naruto stood at his door, watching Mei enter her own room and close the door behind her, he was lost deep in thought.

_'I wish that Mei and me could do more things together, I always feel better when I'm around her, but sometimes I'm scared of the feeling. What does it mean?'_

**"It means your falling in love, idiot."** Naruto face faulted after hearing the deep voice in his head.

_'What the? Who the hell are you?'_

**"I am the Kyuubi, dummy, can't you remember all the times you visited me in my cage?"** Naruto face palmed, how could he forget? With all the things going on, he had been zoning out the Kyuubi.

_'Oh sorry, I didn't know we could talk to each other like this..'_

**"It doesn't matter, you and I have much to discuss about this training you are doing."**

_'What would that be?'_

**"While the training will make you strong enough to handle the life of a shinobi, it is not enough for you to survive the life of a **_**Jinchuuriki**_**. You and I will have to work on training you to utilize my chakra more effectively, otherwise, we'll both die."** Naruto hesitantly agreed with his logic.

_'I suppose, but when will we train? I have a pretty full training schedule if you haven't noticed..'_ The Kyuubi had to calm himself, humans could be very annoying when they wanted to be.

**"Of course I know that, you idiot! Eventually, you'll get to a point in training where you will have mastered what you are to learn, **_**then**_** you can focus on my training."**

_'Oh, so you're hoping that I get done with my training earlier than expected?'_

**"Yes..but I figure you should be able to do it. You may be dumb, but for being a shinobi..you're alright."** Naruto face faulted again.

_'Uh thanks Kyuubi, I can already tell your pep talks are going to be the best.'_

**"Thanks, learning your language has been a bitch, least I can do is cheer you up."**

Naruto climbed into bed and turned off the light, enveloping himself in darkness. He closed his eyes and went over his conversation with Kyuubi, replaying the first part.

_'Wait a minute..WHAT THE HELL! WHAT DO YOU MEAN LOVE!'_ The Fox was already pleasantly sleeping and all Naruto could do was dwell on the thought.

_'In love with Mei? She is very attractive, but she's older than me and she probably doesn't like me like that. Besides, mom said to find an Uzumaki girl, otherwise I can't pass our bloodline on, or at least, it would be diluted if I didn't find another pureblood. Oh well, guess I'll figure it out.'_

* * *

_Mei's Bed Chambers_

_'Was Naruto looking at me when I walked in? Must've been checking out my ass, little perv.'_

Mei changed into her nightgown and moved to her mirror, examining herself. She moved her hands up and down her chest, always hitting her breasts. She grabbed them and tried to guess their size, very large at least, something that seemed very attractive to most men.

_'Why is it that I feel like I don't mind Naruto looking at me like a man would? I couldn't like him like that, I shouldn't..I'm much too old for someone his age. But..he has grown and is still growing, and he can be very sweet and mature when the situation calls for it, __**and**__ he is very funny and strong. Just my kinda guy, like mother always said, I should go find a nice little Uzumaki boy..at least before we split from the clan. But now Naruto has been put in front of me..mine for the taking..what should I do?... Well that choice is pretty obvious..'_

At this point, Mei was sitting on her bed, looking out her window in deep thought. Taking a deep breathe, the red head got up and marched to her door, completely ignoring the fact that she was practically naked. She slammed her door open and kicked down Naruto's bedroom door, startling the boy into consciousness. He gripped the blanket close to his face in fear of whatever could be lurking in the dark.

"NARUTO!"

The blond heard the melodious voice of his Mizukage, but was afraid and confused at what had warranted her to yell at him. He tried to form a response but any chance of speaking was lost when he felt her grip his night shirt's collar, bringing him close to her face. She kissed him on the lips, it was a very rough and hungry kiss that only lasted a few seconds, but it was all he needed.

It was almost as if the Mizukage was claiming her property, and this property sure as hell wanted to be claimed.

"You. Me. Date. Day after tomorrow, be there!" She threw the boy back down onto his mattress and allowed him to just lay there, wide eyed and blushing. His lips were stained with blue lipstick and he was touching the tingling lips with reverence.

"Oh yeah..sorry about the door. A little too excited, Hee Hee!" She giggled and propped the door back up, leaving Naruto alone in the room, completely blown away by her kiss.

"What the hell.." Kyuubi had woken up as well and felt like patting the kid on the back.

**"You just scored, BIG TIME!**"

* * *

_Seven Swordsmen Training_

_Kirigakure ANBU HQ_

"So Chōjūrō-san, what is the function of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist?" Naruto walked alongside the Swordsman, they were headed for the training grounds in the ANBU HQ.

Chōjūrō scratched his chin, thinking about the best way to describe it.

"Well Naruto-san, the Swordsmen of our organization are almost always jounin, elite ninja of the village. Because of this and the special training we receive as Swordsmen, the Mizukage often assigns us as bodyguards or assassins, taking on the most difficult missions Kiri receives. Let's see..in a way, you could compare us to the Sannin in terms of rank, it's an unofficial honor that doesn't have much say in politics other than respect, and even then, we don't have much of that since Zabuza-senpai and Kisame-senpai left the village." Naruto nodded, having a tendency of people leaving the village from your organization can't look good on a resume.

"Okay..but why do you sometimes wear an ANBU mask?" Chōjūrō smiled at that, touching the item in question.

"Well..when not on dangerous missions, due to our elite status, we are often inducted by ANBU or Hunter-ninja corp to serve with them while we are in the village, keeps our skills sharp. At the moment, I'm serving as an ANBU because I have no Swordsman mission to accomplish. If I remember correctly, Raiga-senpai was a hunter-ninja when he left the village, it was because of unknown circumstances during one of his missions."

_'So Swordsmen are almost always serving as an ANBU or Hunter-nin until they get one of those special 'Swordsmen only' missions? Cool..'_

"That's pretty cool! So, Chōjūrō-san, how does one become a Swordsman?" Chōjūrō mocked surprise and skepticism, even though he was smirking on the inside.

_'Just like the Mizukage said he would ask, now I just have to butter him up to the idea.'_

"Oh but Naruto-san, you _couldn't_ be thinking of joining our organization, _could you_?" Naruto's eyes widened and he started nodding his head vigorously, liking the idea.

"Well that is just _too_ bad, only elite ninja can become one of the Seven Swordsmen. It requires a lot of training, you probably couldn't handle it.." Naruto gripped the older teen's shoulders, shaking him violently.

"NO! I can handle it, I'll do any training, I'll listen and learn whatever you say Chōjūrō-sensei! Please allow me to try!" Chōjūrō went into an exaggerated thinking pose and looked back at Naruto, skepticism still evident in his narrowed eyes.

"You sure you want to try?" Naruto just nodded and the older boy shrugged, accepting it.

"Alright then, but first you have to change your name! Each one of our names end up translating into a fruit, so you need to change yours." Naruto went wide eyed at that. He couldn't change his name, he just couldn't!

"I'm just kidding Naruto-san, Mizukage-sama said to make an exception for you. But.." Chōjūrō warned only after Naruto let out a relieved sigh. "You will have to get sharpened teeth like mine, see?" Chōjūrō opened his mouth and pointed to his shark teeth, causing the younger blond to look at him like he was crazy.

"How am I supposed to get those teeth, Chōjūrō-sensei?" Chōjūrō scratched the back of his head, trying to remember the big speech his instructor gave him.

"Well, long ago when the first inhabitants of Kiri started fighting sharks..you know what, never mind that. I was supposed to give you a big speech, but..um..it'll be easier if I just show you the hand signs." Chōjūrō brought his hands up to show the sequence but Naruto blurted out his thoughts.

"Wait a minute! You mean to tell me that you guys got those teeth from a _jutsu_?!" Chōjūrō just nodded and Naruto face palmed. "Wow..I always thought it was something more bad ass..oh well." Chōjūrō got a little annoyed by that, his teeth were bad ass anyway!

"Hey, this is a Kirigakure Kinjutsu, _forbidden knowledge_! You should be grateful I'm even giving you the chance to see the jutsu!" Naruto calmed down and bowed to his sensei, apologizing for his outburst.

"Sorry sensei, please continue." Chōjūrō had never been called sensei until today by Naruto, and he had to say, he liked it.

"That's better, now watch." He went through the hand signs allowing Naruto to copy them and then mold his chakra into the seals. He opened his mouth and it felt like his teeth were being drilled into, they were changing shape and sharpening themselves.

"It hurts Chōjūrō-sensei!" Chōjūrō held a finger up to his mouth for quiet, it would only hurt more if he talked. The process lasted no more than thirty seconds, but that was plenty enough for Naruto.

"There you go Naruto-san, now let me see them." Naruto opened his mouth and the teen looked inside and nodded his head, pleased with the result.

"Alright, the jutsu was a success! Your first step in becoming a Swordsman is done! Now we just need to get you a sword and your done for the day!" Naruto held his sore mouth and pouted, following the older ninja.

_'Why does this feel like a trip to the dentist? My mouth feels like a nuclear bomb went off inside and then I get a piece of candy..or in this case a really big sword.'_

"Naruto-san, I know you have probably noticed how blades such as the Samehada and my own, Hiramekarei have special abilities built into their design, but due to the sheer difficulty in making them, these types of swords were discontinued. Our swords usually get passed down from sensei to student and so on, however, I'm not going to give my blade to you since I'm not retiring, so that means we have to actually have your sword made, do you have any idea what you might want?" Naruto thought about it and had a bunch of ideas, but he couldn't put his finger on one of them.

"I'm not sure Chōjūrō-sensei, can you show me the swords?" Chōjūrō nodded and led him into another room, there on the table lay three swords.

Each bore the look of Zabuza's blade, the Kubikiri Hōchō. One was a perfect copy of it in it's smaller form, without the handle attached. Naruto liked it since it was a simple carbon copy of the original, but he thought he should look at the others before deciding.

The next was a peculiar one, it had the shape of Zabuza's blade but it was smaller and connected to a chain that attached to the smaller hilt.

_'So it's a smaller version of Zabuza's weapon that I can throw around and bring back with the chain, interesting..'_

The last sword by far interested him the most, the blade looked like the first one, but there were _two _small forms of the blade and a longer hilt. He was confused by the design, two swords?

"Chōjūrō-sensei, what is this one?" Naruto pointed to the sword and Chōjūrō walked over and picked it up, examining it.

"It appears to be a dual sword version of Zabuza-senpai's blade. Let's try it out.." Chōjūrō picked up the hilt and told Naruto to hold the grips, which he did so.

The Swordsman picked up one of the two small blades and screwed it's end onto the hilt, and as soon as he did so, the blade grew to four times it's size, now looking exactly like Zabuza's. Naruto couldn't handle the sudden weight change and felt himself losing his grip, luckily Chōjūrō took the hilt from him and held it effortlessly with one hand, pointing to the other blade piece with the other.

"Naruto-san, please attach that one onto the other end like I did." Naruto picked up the blade and after a little bit of fumbling was able to get on correctly and watched it grow in length too.

"Whoa..Chōjūrō-sensei, how can you hold that?" Chōjūrō smirked.

"A lot of training, Naruto-san. So which blade do you want?" Naruto looked at each, quietly mulling over what strengths and weaknesses he could find.

"I'll take..that one." Naruto pointed to the two-ended sword Chōjūrō held, and the man smiled.

"Many have dual wielded two swords like Raiga-senpai, but none have used a dual-ended sword like this Naruto-san. Your training will be very interesting.." Naruto nodded tried to pick up the sword but the best he could do was drag it along the floor.

"Naruto, just leave it here. It won't be going anywhere and no one but the Swordsmen and maybe the Mizukage are powerful enough to lift it." Naruto looked over his shoulder and nodded, leaning the sword against the wall.

"Well, if that's all Chōjūrō-sensei, I need to head back to the Terumi estate. I have to psyche myself for tomorrow!" Chōjūrō was confused, what did he mean?

"Do you mean your training with Mizukage-sama?" Naruto shook his head.

"The training is easy compared to this, I have to get ready for a _date_ with the Mizukage!" Chōjūrō fainted..literally at the thought of the Mizukage dating Naruto. He shrugged and left the large building, heading straight for home.

* * *

_Terumi Estate_

"I'M HOME!" Naruto exclaimed, already doubting Mei was back yet from work. The two stoic ANBU guards stood at the lobby door, looking at him. Naruto ignored their blank stares and went up to his room, where he sat on his bed thinking about what the date would be like tomorrow.

_'She will probably get all dressed up, I wonder what Mei would look like in a dress? Wait..I don't have any fancy clothes, I better go get some!'_

Naruto burst out of the house and went straight for the store that sold him his Kiri outfit, hoping that the shopkeeper could find him some fancy clothes.

* * *

"Ah! These will be perfect for tomorrow!" Naruto walked back into the Terumi estate with a bag of clothes, courtesy of his new favorite shopkeeper.

"What will be perfect, Naruto-kun?" Naruto looked up to see Mei peeking into his shopping bag, she had recently gotten home from her duties as Mizukage and had heard his outburst. Naruto tore the bag away from her and ran up the stairs, startling the Kage.

"NOTHING!" Naruto put the bag of clothes away and walked downstairs to prepare dinner, he decided to try out some sushi, keep it simple for tonight.

"Here you go, Mei-chan! Some nice sushi for the hard working Mizukage, something you definitely deserve." Mei sat at the table and smiled at Naruto when he brought the food, leaning over and kissing his cheek.

"Thank you, Naruto-kun! So how was your training today with Chōjūrō?" Naruto downed a piece of fish and looked at the woman, she seemed genuinely curious.

"It went alright, all we did was pick out a sword for me and got me these cool new teeth! See Mei-chan?" Naruto flashed his new shark teeth at his sensei, making her giggle.

Mei blushed a bit at seeing the teeth in Naruto's mouth, they looked _very_ good on the blond. She had always found that quality of the Swordsmen attractive for some reason, just the thought of a man doing things to her with those teeth..

_'He would have to be __**so**__ gentle with teeth like those, but being bitten might not be all that bad either..mmm.'_

"Hey Mei-chan, you're blushing again..do you feel sick?" Mei woke to see Naruto leaning over the table, concerned for the reddened woman.

"Oh yes, I'm fine Naruto. Those teeth look _wonderful_ by the way, I enjoy them very much!" Naruto nodded, glad that she approved. "Oh, what does your sword look like Naruto? I always found those large swords to look so uncomfortable, did you find something that suited you?"

"Yes actually, although if I had to guess, it's probably double the weight of most the other swords. It's a duel-ended blade, it looks similar to Zabuza Momochi's blade, only there are two blades attached to one another with a hilt in the middle. I almost dropped it with how heavy it was, but Chōjūrō-sensei told me that my training would let me grow more muscles to be able to wield it properly." Mei gasped at that, Naruto with _more_ muscles, she could practically feel the drool pool up in her mouth.

_'Good thing I already claimed a date with him, no other girl will get her hands on him! I just have to make tomorrow night perfect.'_

* * *

_Next Day, Family Jutsu Training_

"Alright, let's take a look at what dear old dad left for me.." Naruto opened up his large scroll and sifted through all the labels, looking for 'Namikaze'.

"Aha!" Naruto found the pesky category and sent chakra coursing through his hand and touched that spot on the scroll, his father's jutsu scroll and kunai plopped out along with a book labeled as his father's 'sealing' journal.

Naruto opened up the jutsu scroll and saw two jutsu written in with notes and explanations of how to use them. Naruto was very intrigued by the **Hiraishin** but couldn't deny the practicality of the **Rasengan**, both very good jutsu he had to learn. He reread the information a couple times before picking up a kunai and his father's journal and walking outside to the training grounds.

Upon arriving, Naruto placed the kunai in his hip pouch, forming his trademark hand sign.

"**Multi Shadow Clone!**"

1,000 Naruto appeared in front of him, taking up most of the training yard.

"Alright, divide into two groups of 500! The first group will work on the **Rasengan** exercises while the other works on understanding the **Hiraishin** and getting used to the three-pronged kunai!" Naruto smirked as his clones quickly got to work, if he did this every day, the jutsu would be easily learned within the next few weeks.

Naruto walked over to a shady tree and sat underneath it, deciding to spend the time reading his father's journal. Upon opening the book, he read his father's personal writings and descriptions on the art of sealing, and while interesting, Naruto knew that he needed more tangible things to learn than notes.

Naruto sifted through the book, finding many pictures and descriptions of seals, both seals his father had made or just encountered, all had unique properties about them that constantly grabbed Naruto's attention. Naruto continued to look through the book, trying to find something that would give him an edge, he had already marked the **Hiraishin** seal away for later purposes but wanted something to work on himself.

Just when he thought he couldn't find anything else, Naruto discovered a seal that gave him a very interesting idea. The seal itself was called the **Blocking Technique Absorption Seal**, a seal that not only could disperse chakra from an attack _but _add that chakra to the user's own reserves. Naruto thought about how he could use that and started to think about how to incorporate it into his own design and style.

_'My outfit should have something denoting my Uzumaki clan..Uzu..Uzu..The Uzumaki Swirl! Perfect!'_

Naruto began to draw up plans on his new idea, intent on getting it done before the year's worth of training was done!

* * *

_Later that Night, Date Time_

Naruto fumbled with his button up shirt, it was black with thin red stripes going up and down. No matter how much he messed with it, his collar just would not stay the way he wanted it to, and did anyone else feel how hot it was in the bathroom?

He checked his pants to make sure everything was at least alright with them and was pleased to see his fancy pair of fancy black pants were just fine, he worked out the creases one more time and stepped out of the bathroom. He slipped on his _shoes_, yes, they actually sold closed-toed shoes in Kiri, something he had never really seen before.

"Naruto-kun! Are you ready yet?" Mei yelled from the lobby, waiting anxiously for her little Swordsman to arrive.

She herself chose a simple, dark blue dress that had open slits on either side, allowing her to show off her creamy legs when she walked. Her lipstick was applied and her nails were finely coated in her favorite color of midnight blue, newly applied all for tonight. Her shoes were just fancier versions of ninja sandals, fitted more for comfort and style than durability (Hinata's sandals during Part II).

Mei was also very nervous, this was to be her first date in a _long_ time, and she didn't want to mess anything up, especially with Naruto. She had asked a few.._intimate_ questions of his life in Konoha, namely if he had ever had a girlfriend. He had answered her with a sad shake of the head and outright proclaimed that he figured that no girl would ever like him either because of his personality or for what he carried inside of him, but Mei planned to prove him wrong tonight.

_'I hope he enjoys the restaurant I picked out..Oh will he like my dress or should I go get another one?.. God! When did I ever get this stressed out over something, I'm the Mizukage dammit!'_

"I'm ready, sorry about making you wait Mei-chan." Naruto whispered into her ear, startling her and making her jump away from him. When she saw his outfit, she blushed a bit and smiled at how cute he looked with his fancy dress shirt.

"Aww! Naruto-kun got himself a collar, let me fix it for you." Mei moved to him and with practiced grace and precision only a woman could have, easily fixed his collar and smoothed out the wrinkles in his shirt, sneaking a feel at his developing muscle. She sighed in a _very_ fangirlish way, confusing the already embarassed Naruto even further.

_'Play it cool Naruto, all your doing is dating an older woman who is probably the most powerful Kunoichi in all the Elemental Nations and she can melt your balls off without a hand sign...nothin' to worry about.'_

"Ready, Mei?" Naruto asked with genuine sincerity, dropping the cute suffix that had been her nickname since he had arrived. Mei looked at him and nodded.

She grabbed his outstretched arm and looped her own through it, glad to see Naruto was almost perfectly at her own height and he was being so formal with her. He leaned in close to her ear and whispered a sweet compliment that she had been anxiously waiting for all night, making her feel warm inside.

"Mei, that dress looks absolutely marvelous on you. Blue is truely your color, majestic and deadly." Kyuubi wanted to laugh at the boy, human ways were very strange indeed.

"T-thank you Naruto..I must say, your outfit suits you wonderfully, you look like the perfect gentleman!" The two shinobi walked down the streets of Kiri, completely ignoring the sights and just focusing on each other.

On their way to Mei's resteraunt of choice, they made small talk and started to converse with each other much more fluidly and _relaxed_ than they had before. It was as if just the very idea of being in a relationship with each other opened..or maybe knocked down the final barrier keeping their true personalities from each other, and they came to find they blended very well with one another.

Upon entering the resteraunt, the two were immediately seated due to the Mizukage's standing; they picked a booth along the wall, so they could look out the window and observe Kirigakure's national holiday celebration. Today marked the day of Yagura's reign ending, the end to the 'Bloody Mist' and the work to begin the end of the Massacres as well.

"Wow! You actually found a place that serves ramen? Mei, you are my hero!" Mei giggled at Naruto's outburst after reading the menu, she had indeed found the resteraunt, it was really the main reason why she picked it. She just wanted tonight to go _right_, she didn't want to make any mistakes with Naruto, he was too precious to her.

"Yes I did, I hoped you might enjoy it! I think I'm going to have an old Uzugakure dish, a cooked fish with rice and vegetables, the fish is a rare type that is only found in the waters surrounding Uzu country." Mei licked her lips subconsciously in anticipation, her mother made this often when she was young, it was one of her favorite.

Naruto felt very melancholy at the thought of Uzugakure. While he was happy that it still was a large influence and was apparently known by many people, it saddened him to think that all that was left of his country was some fish and local fairy tales.

He decided to get a more detailed history about the old country from Mei later, she obviously knew more about the Uzumaki than she would like to let on; it sometimes concerned him that she would keep secrets when he had revealed his biggest secret to the woman not too long ago.

"Food time!" Both Naruto and Mei dug into their meals as soon as they hit the table, Mei apparently shared Naruto's ability to inhale her favorite food with gusto.

After finishing their wonderful meals, Mei asked for a shake with _two _straws, confusing Naruto. The waiter dutifully brought the chocolate drink back out and laid onto the table, both occupants now feeling very nervous about the ordeal.

"Naruto..I'm sorry I shouldn't have" Mei stopped talking when she felt Naruto's hand move over her own, rubbing her soft and delicate knuckles and palm with his calloused thumb.

"No..you don't have to apologize Mei..this is perfect." Naruto leaned over the table and got his straw into his mouth, waggling his eyebrows at the woman. She giggled and got her own straw, drinking her fair share of the beverage, all the while holding Naruto's hand.

Many of the resteraunt goers, especially ninja, were shocked at the sight of their Mizukage with some _kid_. Many of the younger ninjas felt great despair at losing their crush to the unknown blond, while some of the older ninja got instant grudges with Naruto, angered by the sight. All were tuned out, however, by the love birds.

Their eyes were meant only for each other that night, even after they left the resteraunt to view the fireworks. Mei shunshined them back to the Terumi estate and they sat with each other on the roof, observing the midnight fireworks show. Naruto lay on his back with Mei cuddled up on his side, his arm around her in a possessive manner.

"Tonight was perfect, Naruto. I couldn't have asked for a better date, from _anyone_." Mei looked up into his ocean blue eyes that looked down into her emerald one, silently hoping that she could stop searching, that he would be the one.

"Well I hope that I can be the _only_ one that can get a date from you anymore, Mei. I mean..um..if you want to that is." Naruto suddenly felt very vulnerable, like he was laying his heart and feelings on the table for the woman to do what she would with them.

Mei gasped, did this mean what she hoped it meant? She gripped his shirt tightly, tears threatening to fall from her eyes, not at all embarrassed at her own emotional display. She had searched for the right man for so long, she didn't want to be heartbroken again.

"Naruto..does this mean.." Naruto took her trembling hand that gripped his shirt into his own, gently massaging it, never breaking eye contact. He leaned in close to her face, she struggled to get level with him, burning warmth resonating throughout her body.

"Yes..we are together now Mei, and I wouldn't have it _any. other. way_."

With that, Naruto softly kissed the young woman in his arms, just as the fireworks finale came to a stunning conclusion, lighting up the night sky. This night would no longer be just a night of Kirigakure celebration, it would now be the anniversery of a wonderful relationship between the two Uzumaki.

* * *

Done. **Next chapter is another time skip**, roughly around the **start of Shippuden or Part II** for all you manga readers, and it **will be the LAST time skip**. This was merely a small taste of what Naruto's training was going to accomplish, after the skip, you'll just have to watch Naruto show off all his new abilities and moves he learned between now and the skip. Oh and by the way, in case you were wondering about what the sword exactly looks like, think Zabuza Momochi's blade meets Darth Maul's double-bladed lightsaber from Star Wars which I do not own at all :P.

I hope you enjoyed their little dinner date and the start of their relationship, I figured that if it started now, it would have more time to mature and develop. Keep in mind that it has been a little less than one year since Naruto arrived in Kiri, the two have had plenty of 'off-screen' time with one another.

Tune in next time for Chapter 5

'Final Product, Life as a Kiri Ninja!'

Review Please!

Bye Bye


	5. Finished Product, the Life of a Kiri Nin

Uzumaki Clan's Rebirth

Chapter 5

Finished Product, the Life of a Kiri Ninja!

**Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO!**

"speaking"

_'thinking'_

"**Jutsu**"

**"Tailed Beast Speak"**

NaruxMei

**BLOODLINE WARNING**: Naruto uses **Lava** and **Boil** Release in this story. He has three elements in total because of his blood limit, Fire, Water, and Earth.

Two years have past, now the Shippuden time line, assume that the day is the day Naruto returns to Konoha.

**And to everyone's questions on the sword**, the blade is **interchangeable** in the fact that Naruto can** connect one sword facing forward **with the **other backwards _or_** Naruto could also have **both blades face forward **_**or**_ **backwards** too! However, the **blades are still only sharpened on one edge**, so Naruto has to choose carefully in his configuration. His most **common use of the blade **will be** one blade facing forward while the other faces backwards**, helps him adapt to a situation much quicker.

* * *

_Kirigakure, Council Chambers_

"Mizukage-sama, now that we have brought ourselves out of the economic slump that was caused from the chaos of Yagura's reign and the Massacres, isn't it time we started making treaties with other villages? Surely it would be to our advantage.." The council was in deliberation over the future of Kirigakure, it had taken most of the day and Mei was wondering if it would ever end.

"It would hardly affect an Island nation such as our own, our potential enemies are kept at arms length, but so are any allies we might gain. The minor treaties with Sea and Wave are plenty enough for now, our economy is better than it ever has been since we expanded our monopoly over sea trade, our ninja population has also increased since the end of the 'Bloody Mist' graduation exams. I see no reason to make alliances with any of the Elemental nations, we will bide our time for now." The councilors sighed but did not argue further, the Mizukage was a very stubborn, yet clever woman.

"I believe this discussion is over, moving on, I would like to know how our village's most important..investment is doing." Kyo asked the Mizukage, and she growled in response.

_'Naruto-koi is not a damn investment, he is a human being!'_

"No matter how many times I warn you, all you see him as is an investment. In fact, everything has to have some means to an end with you Kyo, and it needs to stop. Naruto-koi is has come a long way in the two years since he has arrived, his accomplishments are lauded amongst the ninja corp. Becoming a jounin at age 16, achieving Swordsman status, perfecting his Kekkei Genkai and Jinchuuriki abilities in record time and even being requested to be an official member of the Hunter-nin corp." Kyo's smirk faded, taking on a scowl instead.

"Not to mention creating a boiling pot of lava with our relationship with Konoha and seducing the Mizukage herself." Kyo was ripped from his chair by the Mizukage, two ANBU guards poised to strike at his vital points upon her order, she gave a look of pure rage at the ex-shinobi.

"How..dare you! I have put up with your insolence for far too long, you have spoken out of line and insulted me personally..ANBU, take him away for interrogation pending military trial." Kyo's eyes widened, 'Military trial'?!

"What! You can no longer try me as a ninja, I've retired!" The Mizukage smirked, brandishing a pencil and a document from thin air, she quickly signed it and stamped it with the official Mizukage stamp and held it to his face.

"You now have been _officially_ reinstated as a shinobi of Kiri, congratulations. Now ANBU, please take this foolish man away from me and these chambers before I _melt _him." The two masked shinobi saluted and dragged the man away, frightening the remaining councilmen into silence.

"This meeting is adjourned, I will retire to my estate now." The Mizukage placed her Kage hat back on and walked slowly to the wooden doors, hoping to get as far away as possible.

The remaining councilmen stood and bowed to the Kage.

"Yes, Mizukage-sama." They left upon her exit, dreading her and her dangerous personality, wondering if Yagura was any worse.

* * *

Mei walked the streets of Kiri, observing her people that she had sworn to protect living out their normal lives, free from danger. Their smiling faces and prosperous attitudes were what allowed Mei to continue the job of Mizukage, the thing that kept her working all day.

Her thoughts drifted to Naruto, the blond genin-now jounin that had warmed her heart since his arrival two and a half years ago. Their relationship had started with them becoming friends, then teacher and student, to now boyfriend and girlfriend, Mei could not contain her joy when he was around.

She had yet to broach the 'I am an Uzumaki' subject with Naruto, she was afraid of his reaction to them being..distant cousins of one another. Mei also feared that Naruto would no longer trust her, feeling betrayed at just how deep of knowledge and connection she really did have with the Uzumaki, so she had kept her secret. As Naruto grew however, so did his curiosity, and she feared that he would learn of her secret on his own, something that would be even worse.

_'I promise to tell him after he comes home from his mission, he should arrive by the end of the day. Hurry home, Naruto-kun, we have much to discuss..'_

* * *

_Unnamed Kiri Isle, Forest_

"Hunter-1, in position." A figure hid behind a tree, holding a hand up to his ear and speaking into a small communicator.

He wore a Kiri Hunter-nin mask, the only markings were two blue fangs that started at the top of the mask and enveloped the drawn on eyes. The four waves of Kiri had their place on his mask's forehead, and the only way to identify the man's features was his bright blond hair. He wore standard Kiri battle armor, a single chest piece that had shoulder guards and a lower torso extension to cover his groin, all grey-black in color.

His weapon was easily the thing that stood out the most, a large, two-ended blade that attached to his back via a belt that went across his chest. As most shinobi carried, he had a kunai pouch attached to his thigh and a hip pouch as well, both connected to black ANBU-standard pants. Farther down, he wore black sandals with dark grey leggings that extended from his sandal toes to a halfway up his lower leg. He also wore a black, long sleeve shirt with grey gloves extending from his entire forearm to past his knuckles. (My description of Kiri ANBU seen in most recent Shippuden Six Tails Filler arc).

"Roger Hunter-1, Hunter-2, 3, and 4 are standing by. Awaiting your order." The man silently nodded to himself, observing his quarry that he and his squad had stalked for the past few days.

The older man, somewhere in his forties, wore prisoner garbs, black and white stripes lined his ripped garments. Looks were deceiving to his haggard reflection though, the man was a B-rank missing-nin, newly awarded the title after escaping from a prisoner transfer ship off the island's coast. The Hunters had been sent out as soon as word was received from the survivors of the vessel, and the squad requested a Swordsman to lead them.

They chose Naruto Uzumaki, the newest addition to the Seven Swordsmen.

Naruto went over his prey's strengths and weaknesses, analyzing the tactics he would use in the coming battle with the Kiri escapee.

_'This man's name is Riko Utsuki, B-rank missing-nin of Kiri. A pure Ninjutsu specialist, he is lauded for the possession of two nature elements, Fire and Wind. Special techniques are largely unknown, Taijutsu is average and Genjutsu is abysmal..just my kinda guy. Let's do this.'_

"Hunter-2, standby for Kirisame. Hunters 3 and 4 will keep distance and observe, cut off escape routes and prevent target from leaving the zone." Naruto heard from his communicator the chorus of 'rogers' for his plan, the trap was set, now Naruto just had to defeat the man himself.

Naruto held up the ram hand sign and disappeared in a whirlpool vortex of water, appearing behind the walking man, hand on the hilt of his broadsword.

"Riko Utsuki, you are under arrest for over twenty criminal acts commited in Kiri. The time has come for you to pay for your crimes!" The man froze immediately, slowly turning to see his worst nightmare, a Hunter-nin. Worse yet, he saw the man's large sword and remembered the horror stories of the Swordsman's organization, something he didn't want to experience.

"Dammit! I was hoping that it would take you a bit longer to find me.." Naruto held his ground, staring down the panicking man.

"We both know I won't surrender, I have no chance if I go back to Kiri, so I'll just have to defeat you!" The man began to form the hand signs for a fire jutsu, and Naruto clicked his communicator once, the signal for Hunter-2.

The hunter-ninja in question stood away from the two combatants in the forest, silently listening to the dialogue up until now, he had received the awaited signal. He formed the three hand signs for the Kiri Hunter-nin hidden jutsu, whispering it's name under his breathe.

"**Hidden Jutsu: Kirisame.**"

Rain began to fall in the surrounding area, but the unnatural feel of the wet substance that was littered with chakra tipped off any high ranking or well informed Kiri-nin of a jutsu of some sort. Riko, however, was to engrossed in watching Naruto that he did not mind the rain, thinking it a natural phenomenon.

"**Grand Fireball!**" The criminal held up a hand to his mouth, expelling a fireball straight at his enemy, but his eyes widened when he saw the attack gradually dissipate in midair.

_'Wait! Even if this is a water jutsu, it shouldn't be powerful enough to..dammit, a trap!'_

"Looks like you figured out the jutsu a little..too late, Riko-san." Naruto had body flickered behind the man, his sword edge on the man's throat.

"Damn! How the hell did" The man was cut off when Naruto finished his mission, slicing through the man's throat with practiced precision and without hesitation.

His fellow hunters walked out into the small clearing, glad to see their leader able to handle the shinobi so well. The body fell to the ground, blood pouring out of the neck artery that Naruto had severed purposely. He turned to his subordinates, each looking at him for their future orders, totally unaffected by the sight of death.

"Finish up here, standard procedure. Meet at the rendezvous in five minutes, we head for home."

The three other hunters saluted and went to the body, beginning the usual process of taking the head as proof of death and destroying what was left. Naruto leapt into the trees and continued to the exfiltration point, the eastern beach-side of the uninhabited island. From there, his squad would move to Kiri, arriving no later than 8:00 p.m..

Naruto arrived at the beach, finding it undisturbed and exactly as it looked when they arrived, peaceful, quiet and serene. No one would know that an important Hunter-nin assignment was done here, the only proof would be some scorched grass from the bodies cremation. Naruto leapt onto the water, standing on top of the shifting surface and sunk his blade in the salty liquid, washing away the red life source soaked on the blade.

_'Another criminal downed, chalk another one up for the Uzumaki! The guys back at ANBU HQ are gonna freak when I tally another one to my score!'_

Since Naruto's induction into the Hunter-nin corps, he found the job to be very challenging and fun as far as ninja roles go, but he was always brought down by the monotonous, dreary atmosphere. All the other hunters were business, stoic and unemotional but Naruto didn't like that one bit, so he 'influenced' his fellow shinobi into having more fun.

Back at base, they had a giant chalkboard that with each Hunter's name and a tally of how many enemies they have taken down, and Naruto had been rising up the ranks quickly. All the old veterans went along with the idea since they got to tally their pre-existing scores, but were shocked at the blond's tenacity at his work, he was easily catching up to their numbers. Naruto invented the word 'fun' and 'brotherhood' with the hunters, and every visit to the HQ was relaxed and left everyone light-hearted when they returned home from a long day of work.

"Sir!" Naruto turned to see his subordinates had finished their tasks, a sealing scroll containing the head put away for further processing in Kiri.

Naruto gave a silent nod and motioned with his hand to move out, and in a blur, all four shinobi were gone, mission accomplished.

* * *

_Kirigakure, Terumi Estate_

Mei paced back and fourth in the Terumi family room, anxiously awaiting the arrival of her housemate and boyfriend, Naruto Uzumaki. She was attempting to psyche herself for the upcoming conversation that would reveal her so far hidden heritage of being an Uzumaki...and she was failing miserably.

_'What if he hates me forever? What if he can never forgive me for keeping this from him? Dammit! He revealed to me being a damn Jinchuuriki containing the most powerful bijuu in existence and I can't even tell him my last name! I'm such an idiot!'_

Her pacing stopped when she felt strong arms wrap around her waist and warm breathe wash against the back of her neck, making her shiver in delight. Mei automatically fell back in the figure's arms, already knowing her love's scent and feel against her skin, her Naruto was home.

"Mei-hime, I'm home." Naruto whispered into her ear, long since putting away his hunter equipment and gear, now wearing a formfitting black body suit that he often wore around the house.

"Naru-koi, I'm so glad your home. How was your mission?" She already knew the answer, Naruto was very dedicated to any task he was given, he would not have come home if the mission was incomplete.

"It went fine, no casualties and Kiri has one less criminal to worry about." Naruto moved his hands up and down Mei's firm stomach, making her skin tingle from contact. She still wore her blue dress over her fishnet body suit, to worried to remember to take off the garment.

"That's great, you are a wonderful ninja Naruto! Kiri is truly blessed with your presence, I know I am." Mei loved this, just being with the man she loved and being able to talk so easily, it was as if there was nothing else happening in the world.

"Well let's thank kami for the Uzumaki clan and their bloodline, or else I might never have come to Kiri..or met you, Mei-hime." Mei frowned at this, once again reminded of the Uzumaki.

She gently pushed herself away from Naruto and led him over to the couch, urging him to sit with her. He was confused but did as Mei asked, sitting next to his Mizukage holding onto both of her hands, both in a comforting and inquisitive gesture.

"Mei..what's the matter?" The red head looked at their hands, finding what courage she could muster in the fact of how much they had been together, how much love they shared.

_'Please Naruto-koi..forgive me.'_

"Naruto..I have something that I have to tell you." Naruto looked at her with a curious gaze, wondering what could be the matter that would have her so nervous. He silently pushed her on, anxious to hear the news.

Mei gulped and let go of her inhibitions, laying all out on the table.

"My true name is Mei Uzumaki..and..I am a pureblood just like you. I'm a survivor of the Uzumaki clan dissolution..I'm your distant cousin, Naruto-koi!" Mei moved her hands to her face, ashamed that she was crying and attempting to hide from what was surely Naruto's shocked and disgusted face towards her.

_'I'm such a fool! He can never forgive me for this, this is'_

Her inner ranting was stopped when she felt her hands being gently removed from her face, and felt her heart flutter when Naruto's lips met her own in a soft kiss. It was his way of reassuring her that everything was alright, and that there was no hard feelings from him. He broke the kiss, leaving Mei with a happy but curious face, Naruto smiled softly and stroked her cheek.

"But..why?" Mei whispered, not understanding his peculiar reaction.

Naruto kept smiling, inwardly laughing at his Mei and her actions. For the past few years of him living in Kiri, Naruto always had his theories and ideas on Mei and how they were linked, and her revealing to him being an Uzumaki wasn't a big surprise. In fact, he had been _expecting_ Mei to reveal her _secret_ to him for some time now, allowing her to take the first step.

"Mei-hime, I have had my assumptions for some time now that we were related, I've just been waiting for you to say it. In a way, even before I knew for sure, there was always this voice in the back of my mind telling me that you and I were linked more than by coincidence." Mei gasped, he had _known_?

"And..you're not..angry?" Naruto just shook his head, any feelings of anger or disappointment vanished long ago, it was evident she regretted keeping it from him for all this time, and that was proof enough.

Mei's tears increased to their zenith and she tackled her love, forcing him onto his back against the leather blue couch. She sobbed into his chest, chanting 'thank you' over and over again, making the blond smile as he petted her back, moving his hand through her hair sensuously.

"Shhh..let's go to bed now, Mei. We both have had a long day and it's late at night, we need our rest." Mei nodded against his broad chest and felt herself being lifted up, Naruto held her bridal style, making her blush a bit.

He walked through the estate's lobby, right up the stairs and went straight for Mei's room, closing the door behind him. He laid her down onto the large double bed that both shared at night, it's blue silk sheets held the Kiri symbol in the middle. He went to the zipper on her dress and began to unzip it, knowing just how much his hime loved to sleep in her body suit, often forgoing her night gown since she began to sleep with Naruto.

She freely allowed him to strip her outfit from herself, trusting Naruto completely; it wasn't like he _hadn't_ seen anything that her fishnets revealed. They had made love many times before, every time better than the last as far as Mei was concerned, tonight though, she was too tired and she felt that Naruto was as well. She watched as her zipper was fully undone and her love pulled the blue one piece down her body, folding it neatly and putting it away for washing.

_'So gentle..oh Naru-koi, I'm so happy that you understood.'_

Mei moved herself so she was now under the blanket, waiting for her man to join her impatiently, she loved it when he would hold her close at night.

_'You would never guess from his chiseled physique, but Naruto's shoulder and chest make for great pillows.'_

Naruto pulled himself into the bed, directly behind Mei, making her flip over to face him. They looked into each others eyes with what could only be described as love before they met in a soft, passionate kiss that left them satisfied of their lover's taste. Mei moved herself one last time to get comfortable, opting to rest on Naruto's warm chest, his rhythmic heart beat and steady breathing to lull her to sleep.

Naruto hooked an arm around Mei's torso, laying himself down onto their soft pillows, silently enjoying the feeling of being in bed with the one he loves. He looked down at her with his mind forming a final question before they slept.

"Mei..I just have one question." Mei sleepily looked at him, her eyes already drooping from exhaustion. "What would you like me to call you? Mei Terumi or Mei Uzumaki?" She smiled at him, softly stroking his chest with her free hand.

"As far as I'm concerned, you may call me Mei Uzumaki..because I don't plan on leaving you anytime soon, Naru-koi. With you..I actually feel proud to wear the Uzumaki name, because I believe in you and your dream, I know you will accomplish it someday." Naruto smiled at her, happy that she believed in his dream of bringing the Uzumaki back.

"Well then, Mei Uzumaki..I guess I'll just have to marry you then." Mei shot straight up and looked at Naruto with wide eyes, marriage?! Her sleepiness forgotten, she gripped his body suit tightly, threatening to tear it.

"M..Marriage?! Do you..really mean that, Naru-koi?" Her hands were trembling, afraid and anxious of the answer from the blond jounin.

"If you would like to be my wife, and only if. I won't force you into anything you aren't ready for, I just..I knew from the moment I fell in love with you that I wanted to be with you for as long as I live. No other woman, Uzumaki or not can fill my heart with warmth and care like you do Mei, and I think" Naruto was stopped from talking by Mei's lips covering his own, ending his well thought out 'I love you until the end of time' speech.

Mei broke the passion-induced kiss and looked at his surprised face, giggling at him.

"Oh..be quiet you silly man, we love each other far more than most will ever love anything, you don't need to make a speech. My name might not change, but marriage is still a big step..one that I'm willing to take if it is with you, my Naruto..I love you." Naruto's eyes began to tear along with Mei and he held her close, kissing her once more.

"I love you too Mei! You have made the happiest Uzumaki man in the world!" Mei smirked into the kiss, actually feeling _relieved_ to call herself Mei Uzumaki again.

As they slowly fell asleep together in bed, Mei and Naruto's thoughts drifted to their respective parents, remembering their parting wishes and hopes for their children.

_'I did it Mom, I found my Uzumaki girl. I'm..so happy!'_

_'Mother..father..I have finally found that little Uzumaki boy that you asked me to look out for. I feel like..I'm finally home..where I should be..where I belong.'_

The Uzumaki couple fell asleep with smiles that night, the feeling of being engaged too elating for them, it was joyous occasion that would be celebrated for generations to come.

* * *

_Konoha, Hokage Office_

"Jiraiya..I have been forced to recognize Naruto as a missing-nin..what can we do? The civilians celebrate his death and all the ninja except for his graduating class are making _bets_ on who will collect his bounty first! This..this is madness!" Tsunade voiced her overwhelming concerns to the newly arrived Jiraiya, he had spent the past two years of Naruto's training trip exploring the world for him and attempting to become even stronger, even if he was long past his golden years.

"I don't know Tsunade-hime..how have the rest of the rookies taken his leaving?" Tsunade looked out the window, a frown on her face.

"Sakura..I fear will never be the same. She felt the betrayal that she felt from Sasuke's leave all over again with Naruto, she hasn't trusted another soul since, even throughout my training she was almost completely unresponsive. The rest have their own ways of dealing with it. Konohamaru has pushed himself extremely hard, to prove to Naruto that he is worthy of Sarutobi, foolishly believing that if he becomes powerful enough, Naruto will come back." Jiraiya sighed, Naruto's leave had a big impact on Konoha, for worse much more than better.

_'I hope your happy in Kiri Naruto, because everyone else has suffered for it!'_

During his two year trip, Jiraiya's contacts followed up more thorough reports on the Island nation and discovered that Naruto indeed lived there, as a Kiri ninja. While Jiraiya didn't know the extent of his training or why he was there, he knew that Naruto would not be coming back to Konoha, but he couldn't tell Tsunade, it would be too much for her to bear.

"Tsunade-sama!" The Sannin turned to see a ninja from the code decipher division burst through the door, holding a message from what appeared to be Suna.

"Tsunade-sama, urgent message has been received from Suna!" Tsunade took the scroll and read it, her eyes widening and a scowl growing on her face. She set the scroll down and summoned Shizune.

"Shizune! Get Kakashi's squad here, now!" Jiraiya picked up the scroll and read it for himself, the Kazekage has been captured?! And by Akatsuki no less, this was trouble!

"The Kazekage has been captured, Jiraiya, you know more than anyone about the Akatsuki, will you accompany Kakashi's squad?" The white haired man nodded, believing himself up to the task.

"We'll leave as soon as Kakashi's squad is ready."

* * *

_Kirigakure, Mizukage Suite, __**Three Days Before**__ Konoha receives distress signal_

"Mizukage-sama! We have received a priority message from our observers in River country!" Mei looked up from her paperwork to see a messenger-nin, one that looked to be out of breathe.

_'Must be pretty important..'_

"Alright, let's take a look." Mei took the report from the man, reading the message and her eyes widened a bit in surprise.

"So..Akatsuki has a hideout in River country..and the agents there have been seen moving for Suna..but why.."Mei's eyes widened, this suddenly got a lot more serious than she had first thought.

She flared her chakra and an ANBU stood before her immediately, kneeling before her.

"Get me Naruto Uzumaki, I don't care what he's doing! A priority message on the Kazekage has arrived!" The ANBU saluted and went straight to ANBU HQ, the last known location of the blond.

_'This isn't good, if Akatsuki is on the move..we cannot allow them to take the one tails! I need Naruto's counsel, he has to help me figure out what to do.'_

"Yes, Mizukage-sama?" Mei looked up to see a fully outfitted Naruto in his hunter gear, hands on the table anxiously waiting for the news. She sighed and handed him the report, his expression unreadable through his mask, but it was surely of surprise.

"No..they are already on the move?" Naruto asked himself rhetorically, not wanting to believe his friend Gaara had been captured or soon to be. He looked into Mei's eyes, seeing the indecision and conflict that mirrored his own.

"We have to do something, we have to stop Akatsuki before they can get a foothold like this!" Naruto proclaimed, letting go of his calm facade and replacing it with anger and hate for the organization that made his difficult life even worse.

Mei got up from her seat and walked around the desk, she enveloped her fiance in her arms, calming him down considerably. Naruto let out a deep breathe and held her arms with his own, trying his best to figure out a plan.

"I know that we have to do something, but what Naruto? We are easily the worst nation positioned to do anything about it, and it might take too long to get a squad there anyway." Mei hoped she could dissuade Naruto from what she thought he would do, but she was gravely mistaken.

Naruto nodded his head in agreement with her analysis..but disagreed that it was impossible.

"A squad might not get through..but a ninja formerly of Fire _could_ get past their patrols alone." Mei gasped at his implication, he couldn't go _alone_!

"NO! If they capture you, then you will be executed or worse. I won't allow that to happen, I won't lose my fiance just because he has to go rescue a friend!" Naruto silently shook his head over Mei's protectiveness, she could be so cute and stubborn.

Naruto was easily one of the most powerful ninja in Kiri, and the probably the best one to be able to run the gauntlet of crossing Fire nation undetected. Although he could agree that it would be dangerous and very costly if he was to be encountered and possibly captured for both countries, it would be even _more_ costly if Akatsuki won in their plan of capturing the bijuu.

"But Mei..I promised to help him, I was his first true friend..please. I need to do this..and I already have a sure fire plan as to how to get through even if I encounter Konoha shinobi." Mei looked curiously at him, she was being held in his arms tightly, as if to reassure her everything would be fine.

"Oh..and what would be your excellent plan, Naruto-koi?" Naruto smirked under his mask.

"Oh..I was thinking something like a transformation to change my facial features and if anyone asks I can just say I'm hunting an important criminal as a Hunter-nin." Mei thought about it, it was tactically sound, as long as no one could recognize him.

_'Simple yet practically fool-proof, but..what if there is a complication?'_

"And..I'll even throw something else into the deal to sweeten the deal, just to reassure you, Mei-hime." Naruto took off one of his gloves and moved his bare hand over Mei's revealed skin on her neck, although she didn't understand what he was trying to do.

"Naruto-koi?" Naruto just smiled and pointed to the area to the right side of her head, close to her right shoulder. Naruto had planted some sort of seal onto her, a very complex looking one that Mei couldn't begin to understand.

"That." Naruto pointed to the seal. "Is the integral part of the **Hiraishin** that allows me to 'teleport' from place to place effortlessly, now that I have planted it on you, I can come back to you faster than you can say 'Mizukage'! Although the distance between River and Water is too big for one 'jump', if I plant these seals at the occasional tree or landmark..well you get the idea." Mei was astounded at the practicality, if Naruto wanted to, he could plot seals like this all over the continent and reach any location in a manner of minutes!

"..I still don't like you going out alone." Mei warned him, burying herself into his chest, his hand moving through her hair in a comforting manner.

_'So soft..it still smells like an ocean shore.'_

"Believe me Mei-hime, if I could figure out how to teleport _others_ along with me, I would bring a whole squad as backup, but I can't. They would just slow me down if we tried to get there through conventional methods, and would increase our chances of getting caught." Mei just nodded, a flawless plan from the most unpredictable ninja.

"When will you leave?" Naruto frowned at this, it wasn't like he enjoyed leaving Kiri and Mei, but he had to do this. He took off his mask, revealing his sorrowful blue eyes to her emerald one, leaning down to kiss her, one she readily accepted.

It was soft and loving, but it was too short for Mei, she would be without him for some time, and she would worry everyday. Naruto stroked her cheek, in thought over when it would be best to leave.

"I'll leave in an hour..that will give us enough time for.._proper goodbyes_." Naruto whispered the last part, wagging his eyebrows at the red headed woman.

Mei perked up immediately at the sound of that, and even though she liked to think of herself as 'tame' when it came to sex, she would take up any offer of it from Naruto she could get, especially now that he was going on a life threatening mission.

"Well what are we waiting for, lover boy? An invitation?" Naruto smirked one last time, picking up the Mizukage in a bridal hold, she was as light as a twig compared to his broadsword.

"I was just waiting for you, Mei-hime." And with that, the two shunshined away to the Terumi estate, where the real fun could begin.

* * *

_Terumi Estate, Bed Chambers, __**Lemon Alert**_

Naruto reappeared holding Mei directly in front of their bed, and he practically threw her onto it, already feeling the tightness in his pants get more and more unbearable. Mei giggled at his excitement, even though she sometimes preferred to be dominant during their _fun_ time, she could handle Naruto taking the lead..just this once.

Naruto jumped onto the bed and tackled her, sending his tongue crashing into her mouth, tasting and exploring all she had to offer. Mei moaned into the aggressive kiss, enjoying the feeling coupled with Naruto's roaming hands, one had already landed on her breast while the other held her bottom. Mei pushed away and got on top, quickly stripping him of his armor and other dangerous weapons, starting with his giant sword..no pun intended.

Naruto was just barely stifling a laugh as he watched Mei tear away his ninja gear and outfit, her anxiousness practically _pouring_ off of her. Naruto didn't stop in his ministrations however, his hand had moved from her breasts to her zipper, and he unzipped it as quickly as he could, feeling the fire and anticipation for what was coming.

Mei finally got off everything but Naruto's boxers and smirked at her Uzumaki man, his tight muscles bristling, free from the clothe cage that barely hid them from her gaze to begin with. Her hands moved up and down his chest, tracing every little detail while _slowly_ moving to the hem of his black boxers, Naruto was already twitching in anxious excitement.

"Oh Hunter-san, I think someone needs a little relief before his big mission. Let me help you with that." Naruto saw her game and smirked even under the great pressure he felt in his groin.

"I could use some of your _special_ treatment Mizukage-sama, it is a _dangerous_ mission after all." Mei lowered his boxers and took his member into her hands, massaging it and his sac to get him ready for their favorite part. "But.." Mei's eyes widened when she felt herself lifted and twisted around, her rear now facing Naruto, clothed only in her fishnet suit.

"Being the Mizukage must be extremely stressful, allow me to _pay_ you back." Naruto aggressively ripped off her bodysuit, reveling in feeling her skin unhindered from clothing.

Mei moaned when he first began to lick her outer folds, quieting herself by placing her mouth over his shaft, lightly sucking on the head before enveloping more..and more of him into her hungry mouth. Naruto's moans from her work caused her to writhe in pleasure from his tongue as it shot further inside of her core, feeling and massaging her inner walls.

Mei began to hum from her current situation, his member touching the back of her throat, the vibrations caused Naruto to twitch and feel his end come near.

_'Two can play at this game, Mei-hime.'_

Naruto allowed his tongue to desperately search for a specific piece of his woman's anatomy, and upon finding the nub, launched a surprise attack that caused Mei to immediately lose their little 'competition'.

Naruto greedily began to drink her juices that flowed from her warm insides, intensely enjoying the flavor combined with Mei's desperate actions to his member. Upon feeling another humming vibration sent to the woman's throat, Naruto could no longer hold back and felt himself release into the woman's mouth. Mei lapped up his seed, swallowing as much as she could, doing her best not to let any spill. Her stomach felt warm from the salty substance as it finished the trip down her throat, but she couldn't revel in it for long because Naruto had once again switched their roles, she now lay on her back with Naruto above her, poised to enter.

"Are you ready, Mei-hime?" Mei smiled and nodded, feeling a thrilling spike of pleasure as Naruto slowly entered her, one hand gripping her hip and the other massaging her breasts.

She voiced these feelings through loud moans that resonated throughout the room, and Naruto groaned from how wonderful being inside her felt.

"So fucking warm! Mei, you're so tight!" Mei grabbed Naruto's head and brought him in for a hungry kiss, attacking him with her tongue.

She felt a surge of pleasure every time her tongue would prick itself against his sharpened teeth, the pain easily forgotten. Naruto broke the kiss and continued to ram into her, moving his head down to her breasts and gently nipping and sucking at her hardened nipples.

"Oh Naru-koi! That feels..so fucking good! AH!" Mei screamed as Naruto especially pushed far into her, a mix of pleasure and pain that excited her from his teeth biting her nipples.

"Fuck! Mei-hime..I can't.." Mei just enveloped his torso with her legs and kept him inside, wanting to feel the warmth of his seed inside her again.

"DO IT! I WANT TO FEEL YOUR SEED FLOW INTO ME!" Naruto did as his Mizukage asked, his cum shooting into her womb, making her feel undying pleasure as she reached her end as well.

"NARUTO!"

"MEI!"

* * *

Some time had passed, and Naruto began to relax, his pleasure climax coming to an end. He saw that Mei had pleasantly passed out from their intimate actions, not a common sight.

_'Usually she lasts for at least four rounds..and that's when I go nice and slow too.'_

Naruto checked the clock and found that they had been in bed together no more than thirty minutes, giving him some time to prepare himself.

Naruto picked up the naked Uzumaki woman and laid her to rest under their bed sheets, stroking her hair and feeling her soft skin one last time before he departed. He gathered his scattered clothes and equipment and moved to his old room, now a storage area that he used to prepare himself for missions.

Naruto quickly placed his clothing and his armor back on, emptying out his equipment pouches and taking stock of what he would bring.

_Broadsword. Check_

_twenty, three-pronged Kunai with __**Hiraishin**__ seal. Check_

_Smoke bombs, explosive tags, and wire. Check_

_Provisions for the trip and other simple survival gear in scroll. Check_

Naruto stowed away his chosen equipment so far, and decided that since the upcoming battle could very well be the most dangerous he had ever been involved in yet, he decided to take his _prototypes_. Naruto picked up the two odd looking metal objects, both having straps that would be attached tightly around his wrists, both looked like simple Uzumaki Swirls. Naruto smirked and double-checked the integral part of the design, sending a small amount of chakra into each swirl's center, smiling upon seeing the elaborate seals light up.

_'Uzumaki prototype, something I have been working on over the years since training began. The two circle-shaped swirls fasten to my wrists, and with them, I can deflect dangerous techniques and absorb the chakra into my own system using the ******Blocking Technique Absorption Seal**__. I haven't been able to test them out yet, but now would definitely be the time to do so, if they work..well, score one for the Uzumaki clan's ingenuity.'_

Naruto fastened the devices to his wrists now, lest he forget them in the heat of battle when he arrived in River. His final checklist complete, Naruto placed his Hunter-nin mask over his face and moved back into the bedroom, to check on Mei.

She lay just where he had left her, a slight frown adorning her features, she always looked like this when he didn't sleep with her. No doubt she would be pissed whenever she woke up, but he had to leave now if he wanted to get there in time. Naruto moved to her bedside and lifted up his mask slightly, revealing his lower face. He laid a gentle kiss on her forehead and rubbed her cheek one last time before walking out without a single word.

He moved down the stairs and saw the two ANBU guards waiting with their ceremonial pikes, saluting him as he walked by.

"Good luck sir, we will protect the Mizukage while you are away!" Naruto smiled under his mask, and opted for shaking both guard's hands instead of saluting, something that shocked the two.

"Thank you..I promise to return as soon as possible, be safe my friends." And Naruto was gone, in a vortex of water, leaving Kiri and his fiancee to go rescue a friend, someone who desperately needed help.

* * *

_Konoha Front Gate, __**Current Time**_

"Alright, Jiraiya! You will be in overall command of this operation, the mission parameters are to rescue the Kazekage and defeat the Akatsuki interlopers. Move out!" The three-man squad and Jiraiya disappeared in a blur, leaving Tsunade and Shizune standing at the gate, wistful looks on their faces.

"Naruto should be with them..he should be saving the Kazekage. I just..I'm not sure what to do anymore.." Shizune didn't know what to say to that, Tsunade was impossible to read anymore, even for her own student. No matter what she tried to say or do, Tsunade could never come out of this depression unless anything short of Naruto coming back to the village happened.

Her only way of coping so far was to hide behind her Kage hat, immersing herself into her work more so than ever now. Jiraiya, Shizune noticed, had also changed, no longer was he a cheerful old pervert, he wore his serious, stern expression upon his face all the time. He refused to write or research any longer, even over Kakashi's protests.

Sakura was merely a shell of her former self, rarely speaking a word to anyone, rarely could anyone get her to smile. Sometimes Shizune doubted bringing Sasuke back would even dull the pain the young girl felt, and she wondered sometimes if Naruto really did think out his plan to leave with everyone's feelings in mind.

* * *

_Fire Country Forest, __**Current Time**_

Since leaving the village, the three days out so far were mainly spent running by Naruto, he could not stop himself from moving, nor did he want to. As far as he could tell, he had reached the coast of Fire country yesterday, planting a seal on a tree there, and following it with another seal every five miles or so.

Currently, Naruto was moving at full speed towards River country, keeping his eyes open for the sure sign of grass plains, signifying his entry into Grass country, a border state of Suna and a close neighbor of River.

The only thing keeping him up was pure determination, he had told himself he would not rest until he reached River, only then would he sleep to get some rest before the battle. His only thoughts were on reaching Gaara in time..and exactly how best to mutilate the Akatsuki he found with him.

_'Hang on Gaara..I'm coming!'_

* * *

Done! Next chapter contains a battle, saving Gaara and possibly an unfortunate encounter with a few leaf ninja? What will Naruto do upon seeing his old mentor and his old team? What will _they_ do upon seeing Naruto as a Kiri Hunter-nin?

About the fast moving relationship, CALM YOURSELVES! I already have it planned when they will be married and it will not be for a **_long_** time, just trust me here. Engagement is a great point to hold on for our love birds, so deal with it until the marriage, wedding bells and cake!

Find out next time!


	6. Rescue the Kazekage, Tensions Rise!

Uzumaki Clan's Rebirth

Chapter 6

Rescue the Kazekage, Tensions Rise, Friendship and Love!

**Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO!**

"speaking"

_'thinking'_

"**Jutsu**"

**"Tailed Beast Speak"**

NaruxMei

**BLOODLINE WARNING**: Naruto uses **Lava** and **Boil** Release in this story. He has three elements in total because of his bloodlimit, Fire, Water, and Earth.

Sorry this took a little while, I did it for TWO reasons. One was to build up suspense _and_ the other was to release the chapter in a TRIPLE, yes I said TRIPLE release package along with Sand Maiden and Hebi Geek, enjoy!

* * *

_Sunagakure, Hospital Ward_

"There..that's the last of the poison. Take it easy Kankuro, otherwise the side effects could worsen." Sakura droned to the puppeteer in a professional manner; she had an unreadable and passive visage, as if she was devoid of any emotion.

Kankuro just nodded and laid back down on his bed, looking over at the Konoha ninja sent to help them get the Kazekage back.

_'There is the copy ninja, Kakashi, Sakura of course, some pale kid I've never seen before, and the legendary Sannin Jiraiya..but where is Naruto?'_

"Sakura.." Kankuro grunted out, stopping the pink haired medic from leaving, she slowly turned her attention to him, unnerving him a bit from her stoic attitude. "I was just wondering..where is Naruto?"

Sakura flinched at the sound of that name, her entire body shutting down. Kakashi and Jiraiya to their credit just stiffened a bit, hiding their emotions much better than the young Kunoichi. Sakura decided to look at the ground, not willing to face anyone with tears in her eyes.

"Naruto..he's gone." The Suna ninja present were shocked at this, Naruto Uzumaki..gone? Temari decided to speak up, curious.

"What do you mea" She was cut off by Kakashi, deciding to explain it for his brokenhearted student.

"Naruto left the village two and a half years ago, and he has not been seen or heard from since. He was recently made a missing-nin, your bingo book will be updated for" Kankuro scoffed at that, he may not have known Naruto too well, but he had helped Gaara become a better person. He had saved Gaara from himself, a task no one believed possible; he refused to just give up on the missing Konoha ninja.

"How can you say that?! Naruto is your student, your friend! I'm not going to go out of my way just to hunt him down so you ungrateful bastards" Temari quieted him with a hand over his mouth before he could say more, but the damage was already done.

Kakashi looked down in shame, deeply affected that he had to treat his friend and student as an enemy to be killed. Jiraiya just held his stoic expression, inside agreeing with the Suna nin, he sure as hell didn't like it either, but Naruto was an enemy now. Sakura could no longer take the pain, and ran out of the room, followed closely by Kakashi.

Sai felt very left out since his induction into Kakashi's squad, it seemed that the rich history of squad 7 would be forever lost on him. He had little idea on exactly who Naruto Uzumaki really was, all he had seen was the boy's dossier Danzo had shown him. Sai stayed in the hospital with the Toad Sage, opting to stay out of the personal affairs of his teammates.

* * *

_Sunagakure Streets_

"Sakura! Sakura, stop it!" Kakashi was chasing after the distraught girl, she was running through the streets of Suna with total abandon on who she was bumping into or knocking over.

Kakashi sighed in frustration, that puppeteer just had to open his damn mouth.

_'Since Naruto left, other than feeling terribly depressed and lonely, Sakura had plenty of time to search her soul to understand these feelings. She must've found out she had deeper feelings than the fragile relationship the two had before he left, and now that he is gone, she regrets never being able to tell him. Every time he is brought up, it is as if she is reminded that she somehow failed in keeping her only true friend in Konoha. Naruto..your profound effect on people is just as much a curse as it is a blessing.'_

Sakura finally reached the city's edge and leapt up onto the top of the wall, followed closely by Kakashi. The girl stood on the large sand barrier, looking out into the sandy dunes of the desolate country, inwardly gathering her thoughts and feelings. Kakashi dare not say anything before she was ready, settling with standing beside her, waiting patiently for her to vent.

"I'm...sorry Kakashi-sensei..I just.." Kakashi frowned, completely sympathizing with the poor girl, he set a comforting hand on her shoulder, silent encouragement to continue. "I just..miss him so much. His laugh, his goofy smile..his upbeat attitude, it all seems like it was just yesterday that I found out he was gone, and then I..I"

Sakura sighed, feeling it best to just admit it, feeling confidence in herself, something Naruto would have..something he would expect her to have.

"I found out that I..love him. I just was too blinded by Sasuke in my younger years to see it..heh, I guess Naruto really can get through to _anybody_ with his magic, huh Kaka-sensei?" Kakashi smiled a bit, glad to see the girl got that off her chest. He nodded in assent to her observation, Naruto could change anyone, and he wouldn't stop working at it until he changed you for the better.

"Yes Sakura, I believe that Naruto really can change anyone, his effect on the village and it's people may be lost on Konoha..but we can't forget so easily. It isn't the same without him..I hope that he is alright, wherever he is." Sakura looked at Kakashi, a fire in her eyes he had not seen in over three years, and it startled him.

Sakura smirked, feeling confident now that she had let out her feelings, Naruto reinvigorated her thoughts, filled her senses. She could practically feel the warmth of him, standing right next to her with a smile.._his_ smile. She turned back to look out across the dunes, the smirk still on her face, she raised her fist into the air, taken up in the heat of the moment.

"And that is why..that is why I am going to bring back Naruto Uzumaki to his home, _our_ home! I'm going to do it too..because I love Naruto!" She yelled out her promise, it was swallowed up by the gusting wind of Suna's desert, but Kakashi heard it clearly and smiled, a truely happy smile.

"I think..Naruto would be proud to hear that promise, Sakura."

* * *

_River Country, 1 mile from Akatsuki Hideout_

Naruto awoke from his slumber, almost falling out of the tree he had chosen for his 'bed'. He had been awoken by the dispel of one of his lookout clones, and the memories sent to his brain brought a smirk to his face. The two Akatsuki members were nearby, a badly damaged Gaara in their grasp, and Naruto began to stretch and mentally prepare himself, going over his plan one more time in his head.

_'Alright, I already took a look at the hideout, it appears to have a security seal that I will have to remove first, I've already sent clones to help me with that. After they get inside, I'll break the boulder and execute my special attack that I've been waiting to test out. My only priority is to get Gaara out of there __**with**__ his bijuu intact and still inside of him, killing the Akatsuki will be a bonus.'_

Naruto moved from his current location to a tree overlooking the large boulder of the hideout entrance, silently awaiting the arrival of the two enemy shinobi. He didn't have to wait long however, as the two cloaked figures slowly made their way across the river and entered the hideout, closing the 'door' behind them.

_'I'll give them a few minutes to get settled, no point in rushing. Hunter-nin training taught me that much, rushing into battle will just get me killed.'_

Ten minutes ticked away and Naruto was finished with waiting, he made his way down to the boulder and began to get his attack preparations finished. Naruto placed his hands into the cross shaped sign for his trademark technique, and whispered it under his breathe.

"**Multi Shadow Clone.**"

Easily one hundred Naruto clones were created, and Naruto divided them into three groups. Naruto moved up the boulder and gripped the seal, his shadow clones that were at the four other seals doing the same, and he had a mental countdown.

_'..3..2..1..NOW!'_

Naruto ripped the seal off, satisfied when no trap or danger presented itself, the removal was a success. Naruto silently dropped to the ground, walking up to the boulder, he placed his hands onto the solid rock, mixing his Earth chakra to change the density of the rock. At first there was nothing to be seen in it's appearance, but after a few seconds, Naruto could visibly see the rock melting and changing into a thick mud, courtesy of his chakra.

Upon revealing the inside of the cave once the boulder was gone, Naruto and his clones moved away from the opening and peered inside, scoping out the base. Naruto observed there was a large statue over towards the end of the cave, the two Akatsuki members stood on one of the fingers of the object, holograms of humanoid figures were located on the rest. Naruto's eyes widened when he saw a blue orb of chakra energy, and to his horror, he found Gaara in the middle of it, his bijuu chakra being slowly absorbed.

The Akatsuki appeared to be in total concentration, but Naruto was not to be fooled, they surely knew of his presence by now. Naruto made a few hand motions to his clones, the attack would start now!

Five of his clones leapt in front of the doorway, gathering themselves in a stance and held up a hand sign that few got to see before their deaths, they whispered the jutsu at the exact same time, a deep mist seeping into the cave and outside on the river.

"**Ninja Art: Hidden Mist.**"

They held their stances, keeping the mist so thick that an untrained shinobi would barely be able to see past his face, let alone a few feet in front of him. Naruto however, had practically_ lived_ in this mist during his Swordsmen training; he didn't need to see, his other senses were all he required.

Two more dozen of Naruto's clones leapt in front of the first five, all holding as many three-pronged kunai as they could fit in their hands. Naruto took his place with the final group, a good seventy five or so clones, all with their broadswords out and at the ready. Naruto quickly formed the seals for a last minute jutsu, and a few more clones were created, mixing themselves with the rest.

_'Time for my combo, let's see you counter this, Akatsuki!'_

"**HIRAISHIN BLITZKRIEG!**" Naruto yelled out his combo technique, startling the Akatsuki at his blunt move of revealing himself formally.

The two dozen 'kunai throwers' began to throw the special kunai into the cave, not much minding the direction so much as getting as many as they could into the hideout. Naruto smirked as he and over eighty clones disappeared in yellow flashes, the chaos had begun.

* * *

_5 Minutes Ago, Akatsuki Hideout Interior_

"Jeez Sasori-senpai, why does this always take so long, uhn?" Deidara asked the turtle-like man, griping over the stupid jutsu used to absorb the tailed beast chakra. Sasori merely glanced in the younger man's direction, silently annoyed by his whining.

"Would you just shut up Deidara, it will get done when it gets done." The two settled for an uncomfortable silence until they both felt the sensation of a chakra source, _nearby_.

Not just a passerby, the chakra was _directly_ on the other side of the boulder, and it appeared to be unphased by the security seal placed outside on the boulder.

"Sasori-senpai.."

"I know..let's continue the jutsu, see what this could interruption could result in."

The two eventually felt a light warmth against their backs and somewhat of a glare inside the cave and turned to see the boulder completely missing and sunlight seeping in, startling the two. The shinobi interloper was nowhere to be seen but it was evident the person was out there, hiding.

"Earth chakra manipulation, it's the only way to just make solid rock disappear without a sound, uhn." Deidara commented, he himself being Earth-natured. Sasori silently agreed with his analysis.

Their lapse in concentration was detected by Pain, and he questioned the two on their status.

"Sasori, Deidara, I no longer feel your chakra, what is wrong?" Sasori, being the elder member, spoke up.

"We seem to have an..unwanted visitor, Leader-sama." Pain appeared to be in quiet deliberation for a few seconds, he turned to Sasori.

"Eliminate the threat as you see fit, we will continue the extraction process." Sasori nodded and Deidara smirked, excited to get a real fight.

Suddenly, a thick mist enveloped the inside of the cave, separating the two Akatsuki from one another, surprising the two at the sheer thickness of the vapor.

_'Whoever is doing this obviously is either very strong or full of himself, no one can properly fight in this..'_ Sasori commented, silently impressed with the interloper already.

_'Dammit..with this crap, I won't even see my beautiful art when it explodes..uhn.'_

They heard a loud voice echo through the cavern, the name of the jutsu sending a chill down Deidara's spine.

_'No..my father told me of that technique..but that guy's supposed to be dead!'_

From the thick mist came dozens upon dozens of oddly shaped kunai, making Deidara visibly shake from the horror stories told by older Iwa shinobi survivors of the Third Shinobi War. Sasori actually was not keen on the details of this jutsu and dodged the kunai, curious to the point behind the interesting weapons.

* * *

_Deidara's encounter_

..It happened in a flash, Deidara observed a flash of yellow before he felt the cold slice of a blade and a pooling warmth by his right arm's elbow, he looked to see.._nothing_. At first he thought the mist was playing a trick on him, but to his horror, he lifted up his arm to see the stub of what was left, his arm had been cut from the elbow down and he screamed from unbridled shock and fear.

He looked to see another flash and was just barely able to avoid being decapitated before he calmed himself, quickly substituting himself with a clay clone that blew up in the face of one of Naruto's shadow clones.

Deidara felt pain stab him in the lower abdomen and looked to see one of the kunai had embedded itself in his abs, stuck firm inside of his body. He looked frightened at the weapon, as if he was standing on a landmine praying to kami that it wouldn't blow up.

"Oh shi" Deidara was unable to finish his sentence when he looked up to see three flashes, one in front and one to his left and right, and the rest was black.

* * *

_Sasori's fight_

Sasori heard Deidara's agonized scream but could do nothing except to continue to dodge the kunai and figure out a plan. The first time he saw a flash, he did not know what to expect, and his outer puppet shell paid for it, a clean gash from the start to finish of the puppet on it's left side, revealing the true puppeteer inside.

_'Dammit, those kunai appear to allow this enemy to teleport or somehow shunshin to it's location, and I can't dodge the kunai until it's almost too late. When I can finally see the damn things, the bastard has already teleported to me and sliced up my puppet, his ingenuity is amazing..I find myself actually worrying if I could lose.'_

Sasori didn't even bother stabbing at the flashes, for he knew even his reflexes were too slow to stop the enemy, but when the opportunity finally presented itself for him to hit _something_, he took it without hesitation. A shadow of a figure stood right outside Sasori's visibility and like a scorpion attacking it's prey, he sent his tail whipping into it's center mass.

The red head smirked when he felt it collide with something and slowly pulled his tail back to observe the enemy and look him in the face as he died. From the mist came what appeared to be a Kiri Hunter-nin, perfectly impaled and non-moving on his poisoned stinger. His smirk soon changed to a gaping mouth as the ninja _melted_, it's outer skin turning into a dark red substance that was glowing with heat and energy.

Sasori could hear the hiss of melting material and looked in horror to find the end of his tail _melting_ from the intense heat of what appeared to be lava or some superheated rock, steam rising up from the intense heat. The end of his tail fell off, dropping to the ground and melting away along with what was left of the clone.

_'What the hell was that? It must've been some nature chakra, but Lava? Who the hell can..'_

Sasori was cut off from his investigation by five yellow flashes, and (slow-mo!) watched as the Hunter-nin's threw back their swords and brought them around in a vertical slashing arc, slicing right through his puppet and skewering much of his own body in the process. Miraculously, his heart remained intact, but his outer puppet buckled and fell loose from the stress fractures across it's frame, revealing the broken red head and his rare, stoic face now in a mangled look of horror at the enemy combatant.

Naruto slowly made his way to what was left of the enemy puppeteer, a scowl set on his features. This man had captured someone who could possibly count as his best friend other than his sensei and his fiancee, and a fellow Jinchuuriki, he deserved no quarter..and he would receive none. Naruto kept his distance, wary of any final traps from the ninja, bringing in nearby clones and had them surround the man, hopefully confusing him as to who was the original.

Naruto observed the nearby broken tail, smirking at the obvious encounter it had with one of his **Lava Clones** he mixed in with his shadow clones right before the attack, just in case one of them were Taijutsu users.

"Who..who are you?" The Akatsuki man asked.

Naruto was shocked he was still alive, let alone able to talk, but he remained stoic and quiet to the man's question, deciding to holster his broadsword and hold up his right hand, a chakra spike could be felt. Sasori looked on curious to what his enemy was doing, feeling eerily confident in the face of certain death, intent on seeing what the victor of this one-sided battle could do.

"You are scum, Akatsuki..and you will now die by my hand as will the rest of this evil organization. **Great Rasengan!**" Naruto plunged the large Rasengan into the man's heart..or at least where his heart should be, and he was satisfied to see what was left of the man's puppet body go limp.

Naruto gave a silent order and the mist slowly dissipated, revealing the statue again and the rest of his clones gone, their spent kunai having disappeared along with them. Naruto looked around the battlefield, impressed with his show of strength, as this was the first time he had used the **Hiraishin** in real combat, and it turned out to be the deciding factor that gave him victory.

"Sasori, Deidara, have you defeated the interloper?" Naruto could hear the disembodied voice coming from the statue's fingers, probably the leader, he mused. Naruto looked to the two bodies of the man's lackeys, satisfied with his work.

_'This is one bijuu that will not be taken, you bastards!'_

Naruto felt quite exhausted from the fight but quickly brought up his hands for the most important part of the operation, rescuing Gaara.

"**Shadow Clone Technique.**"

Naruto created ten clones, each holding their right hands and forming larger-than-normal **Rasengans** in their palms, and Naruto created the largest one yet. An official **Massive Rasengan**, big enough to envelope an entire tree or two, all eleven Naruto launched themselves at different parts of the statue, Naruto himself aiming for the center eyes.

Pain's eyes widened as he felt the statue buckle from the sheer power of the jutsu attack, the final factor resting in the arms falling off of it's main body, removing Pain's chakra link caused the object to disappear, automatically canceling the jutsu.

Naruto collapsed onto the ground, quite out of energy after the battle, but proud of his accomplishment, he crawled over to Gaara who had fallen to the ground from mid-air. The boy appeared to be knocked out from sheer pain, no doubt his bijuu was pissed that some of it's chakra got sucked away and was resting itself to regain what it had lost.

"Hey Gaara..wake up!" Naruto slapped his face around a couple times, and smiled when the red head started to show signs of consciousness, his eyelids flickering open. Gaara weakly looked around, moving only his neck, everything else hurt too much, his eyes landed on the masked Naruto and they widened into saucer shape.

Naruto just remembered his mask and took it off. "Hey Gaara! It's me, Naruto!" Gaara's memories came back, both of the cheerful Uzumaki and of the events leading up to him being here, he remembered black cloaks with red clouds and he attempted to sit up, only to flinch in pain and be pushed back down by Naruto.

"Hey, Hey! You are in no position to be moving, it'll take some time for both of us to recuperate." Gaara only nodded, and looked at the new Naruto, eying his Kiri headband with curiously narrowed eyes.

_'Why is he allied with Kiri? When did this happen?'_

"Naruto..did you kill them?" Naruto only smiled and nodded, and Gaara actually smiled too, gripping Naruto's hand in a friendly, reassuring grip. "That's good..damn good."

"I'll tell you all about it when we both get some rest..now hang on, I'm going to get us the hell out of here!" Naruto lazily gripped the Kazekage and lifted both of them up, straining to stand with their combined weight.

Naruto formed the ram hand sign to gather chakra, borrowing some from his bijuu, reminding himself to thank Kyuubi later. In a swirling vortex of water, the two were gone, leaving nothing but two mangled corpses and an empty cave.

* * *

_River Country Forest, One Hour Later_

"And that is how I rescued you." Naruto just finished explaining how he set out from Kiri and defeated the Akatsuki, and the Kazekage was impressed.

The two sat in the thick forest of River, beneath a shady tree. They had been resting and talking with one another, enjoying the peace and quiet.

"Naruto..thank you. You are truly a friend..my best friend." Naruto smiled and gripped Gaara's hand, a meaningful gesture.

"Jinchuuriki have to stick together, right?" Gaara smirked at this.

"Are you sure you weren't trying to brown nose the Kazekage into an alliance with Kiri?" Naruto scoffed at that, it hadn't even crossed his mind.

"Nope, I came on my own accord, someone had to pull your ass out of the fire." The two laughed at that, and Naruto was glad that the traumatic event had not affected Gaara.

They were silent after that, silently reflecting on what had happened. Gaara was the first to speak up, his curiosity getting the better of him.

"Naruto..why do you wear the Kiri symbol?" Naruto quirked an eye brow and readjusted his headband, thinking of the best way to explain.

"Well..it's a long story.." Gaara, being the rare joker, attempted to move his weak legs and just shrugged at the blond, who was already smirking.

"Well, I can't move so I don't have anywhere else to be.."

"Alright smart ass, it all started around two and a half years ago.."

* * *

_One hour later_

"Wow." Gaara had listened to the whole tale of Naruto finding out about his bloodline and going to Kiri to live and find love with none other than the Mizukage herself.

"If you were any other man, I would not believe you for a second. Naruto..is this what you really wanted? To leave Konoha?" Naruto looked at Gaara with an unreadable expression before settling for a soft smile and a nod.

"The only thing I regret is not giving my precious people in Konoha a proper goodbye, but I had to leave, and now that I am where I am, I couldn't be happier." Gaara nodded, he would trust Naruto's decision.

"Well then..you have my support. No doubt Konoha sent reinforcements to help rescue me, that could pose a problem for you." Naruto nodded but did not change his mind.

"I'm escorting you back to Suna myself, no matter what it takes. I'm not leaving until I'm sure you will be alright." Gaara smirked, flexing his muscles and slowly getting up from the ground.

"Then what are we waiting for, Naruto Uzumaki of Kirigakure? A funeral?" Naruto got a laugh out of that, he got up too.

"Yeah yeah, let's go _Kazekage-sama_."

The two friends set out at a sedate pace through the trees, intent on getting back to Suna safe and sound.

* * *

_Sunagakure, Two days later_

"Okay, we'll head out and get the Kazekage back! Don't wait..up? Gaara?!" Temari had shouted over her shoulder to the Suna gathering before turning back around to see her brother, _unharmed_, walking through the village streets.

Temari ran right up to him and hugged the red head tight, tears streaming down her face. The present Suna shinobi ran up and greeted their Kazekage back, thinking that he had defeated Akatsuki and come back on his own. The Konoha nin stood away from the large gathering, confused as to why the Kazekage was here when he was supposed to be kidnapped?

"Alright! Please calm down everyone.." Gaara eased the crowd and kept walking up to the Konoha ninja, intent on seeing his would-be rescuers.

Kakashi and Jiraiya gave respectful bows to the teenaged leader, Sakura forced Sai onto his knees and bowed herself, an irritated smile on her face.

"Kakashi..I see this is the squad that was sent to help in my rescue operation?" Kakashi and Jiraiya both nodded, affirming the Kazekage's assumption. Kakashi stepped forward, intent on asking the burning question on everyone's mind.

"Kazekage-sama, not that I doubt your ability but..how were you able to escape from Akatsuki?" Gaara looked at him and held back a smirk, silently apologizing to the hidden Naruto, but this had to be done.

"I had a little help, come out..Naruto Uzumaki!" The Konoha and Suna ninja were shocked to hear that Naruto was actually here, and everyone began to look around for the blond.

Sakura's eyes widened and she felt herself hyperventilate, suddenly afraid and nervous to see her old teammate.

_'Naruto-kun..is here?'_

"Dammit Gaara! I thought we agreed that I would hide, I am a missing-nin to these guys, or did that little piece of information _slip_ your mind?" Naruto complained, coming out from a abnormally dark alley way, giving everyone their first glimpse at the boy in almost three years.

Gaara smirked, Naruto would never change.

"Sorry, I guess that _did_ slip my mind. But it doesn't matter, you are under my protection here in Suna." Naruto scoffed playfully and 'flashed' to stand next to Gaara, arm leaning on the red head's shoulder.

"Oh, thank you Kazekage-_sama_, I am forever in your debt."

"No, this just makes us even." Naruto and Gaara laughed at that, confusing everyone further.

"Naruto.." The Jinchuuriki turned to see the Konoha ninja in battle stances, intent on arresting him.

Kakashi stood with his sharingan prepared and a kunai out, Jiraiya had formed a Rasengan and begun the transition into Sage Mode, Sakura had slipped on her gloves but she looked..conflicted? Sai stood with an ink scroll ready, prepared to arrest the traitor.

"How can I help you, Kakashi?" Jiraiya stalked forward, glaring murder right into Naruto's veiled eyes, who stood unaffected, completely expecting this from his old comrades.

"Why the hell are you a Kiri ninja Naruto? What happened to Konoha, what happened to becoming the Hokage, what happened TO YOUR FRIENDS!?" Naruto stood unaffected, settling for just taking off his mask and looking at his old comrades with a blank stare.

Sakura silently gasped after seeing his face, already marveling his bodies wonderful physique, she now saw that he had grown so handsome.

_'Naruto-kun..amazing.'_

"I have already explained my reasons for leaving Konoha to Tsunade in my letter, and becoming a Kiri ninja wasn't my original intention, but it happened and it turned out for the better." Konoha couldn't believe what they were hearing, _for the better_?

"It doesn't matter, we are taking you back Naruto-kun! Lady Tsunade can pardon you..you can come back with us, back home..please!" Sakura cried out, tears streaming down her face.

Naruto quirked an eye brow, _Naruto-kun_?

_'When did THAT happen..'_

"Sorry, but I don't plan on going back to Konoha. I have found my place in Kiri, and I also found the love of my life, and I won't give that up just because a few of you want me back." They were confused, love of his life, found his place? Jiraiya growled, fed up with the boy's stubborn attitude, he _was_ coming home, conscious or not!

"Then we will just have to take you.." The Konoha ninja stalked forward, and Naruto placed his mask back on and moved his hand to the broadsword on his back, ready to fight.

"I don't think so; Suna, assume Konoha is our enemy. Naruto is our ally and he will not be taken while he is inside our village, That is final." The _large_ contingent of Suna nin behind Gaara and Naruto, easily numbering over one hundred, all smiled and took up a formation surrounding the Konoha squad, surprising them at the quick change in allegiance.

This man, this Naruto Uzumaki, while not known by the majority of the ninja population of Suna, had saved their Kazekage and was obviously his friend, and they would not overlook that so easily.

"You will not take Naruto, I suggest you leave." Temari suggested, standing amongst the gathered Suna ninja. She would be forever in Naruto's debt for saving her little brother, and she wouldn't allow Konoha to take him back if he didn't want to.

"How can you say that! Naruto-kun belongs back in Konoha, he" Gaara interrupted the sputtering girl, laying it out for them.

"I think Naruto can make his own decisions now, he doesn't need your help. The life of a Jinchuuriki, people like us, is traumatizing, fatal to some even. If not for Naruto, I would either be dead or insane now, and I am amazed to this day that Naruto did not turn out like I did from the way I have seen Konoha treat him. You expect him to just stay in Konoha and take their anger, their hatred, their animosity just to satisfy your needs? If that is true, then you are selfish, close-minded fools, if Naruto is happy in Kiri then he should stay in Kiri, and I for one..support him." Gaara finished his speech by setting a reassuring hand on Naruto's shoulder, making Naruto look at him, tears streaming down his masked face and falling to the ground.

_'Gaara..'_

"Naruto..you really want to stay in Kiri, don't you?" Kakashi asked rhetorically, and he received a nod from his old student. The silver-haired man sighed and moved his hand to his headband, slowly placing it back over his sharingan eye. "If that is the case..good luck. I wish you well, Naruto." The man gave Naruto his famous 'eye' smile and a thumbs up.

"The others might be willing to let you go, but as far as I'm concerned, as soon as your outside of this country, I'm going to drag your ass back to Konoha so you can beg on your knees for forgiveness to Tsunade. It is the _least_ she and everyone else deserves." Jiraiya ground out, disappointed in Kakashi giving up so easily, he looked to see Sakura barely holding herself together.

Naruto frowned, he may have lost the crush he had on the girl, but he didn't like to see her cry. Shunshining to her, Naruto took off his mask and hugged her tightly against his body.

Sakura gasped, looking up from the embrace into Naruto's eyes, feeling as though she was in complete bliss. She wrapped her own arms around Naruto, intent on having this moment last forever, she leaned up to kiss his tantalizing lips but was disappointed when he moved so she received his cheek instead.

"Why Naruto-kun..don't you love me anymore?" Naruto sighed and backed up a bit, still holding the girl but properly looking into her eyes, she had to see that he meant this.

"I'm sorry Sakura, but the love I felt for you once has changed into something akin to brotherly love..I have already found the one that I will spend the rest of my life with..I'm engaged Sakura." If Sakura had felt devastated from his first announcement, she was destroyed when she heard that he was engaged.

"To who?!" She yelled out, a bit too loudly, her anger getting the better of her.

"To Mei Uzumaki, the fifth Mizukage." Everyone's eyes widened at that, an Uzumaki _and_ a Kage?

"But..but I" Sakura was cut off when she felt a finger on her lips, keeping her from embarrassing herself, she couldn't argue with him.

"I'm..sorry Naruto-kun..I just..miss you so much!" She clung to his chest, feebly grasping at him, trying to feel him one last time. Naruto just hugged her again, trying to think of something to make her feel better, then he was struck by an idea.

"I may not come back with you..but I can give you this." Naruto took out one of his three-pronged kunai, he handed it to Sakura who took it, looking at him with a confused face.

Kakashi went wide eyed when he saw the kunai, flashbacks of his sensei came to mind.

_'The Yondaime's kunai..why does Naruto have it?'_

"Naruto, what is this?" Naruto laughed a bit, and Sakura pouted, not feeling very good about being laughed at.

"This silly, is a kunai made with a very special seal that allows me to 'teleport' to places with just a simple throw of it. If you are ever in trouble, just throw this kunai somewhere nearby, and I'll come to the rescue!" Sakura gripped the kunai tightly after the explanation, not planning on losing her one link to Naruto anytime soon.

"Naruto..you know the **Hiraishin**?!" Naruto turned around to look at Jiraiya and Kakashi, they were both shocked that he knew of the technique, let alone how to use it!

"Yeah, dad left it for me to learn..so I did." Kakashi's eyes widened and Jiraiya's turned into saucers.

_'Naruto's father is...Minato-sensei!?'_

_'How the hell did Naruto find out...dammit Kushina!'_

"No way..Minato-sensei..and Kushina-san..EWWW!!" Kakashi went into a mental breakdown over that thought, making Naruto just laugh at him.

Naruto walked back over to Gaara and handed him another one of the special kunai, and he received a nod from the sand user.

"In case Akatsuki comes back..or if you just want to hang out some time, I'll mark Suna's gate as well so I can visit." Gaara smiled at that, glad to hear that Naruto wouldn't forget about them.

"Here Naruto. I prepared this on our trip here, give it to the Mizukage." Gaara handed a small scroll with the Kazekage seal on it, making Naruto look at Gaara with surprise.

"Gaara..you can't mean" He stopped talking when Gaara held up a hand for quiet, he looked at Naruto with a smile.

"Any village that is a friend of Naruto's is a friend of Suna..and mine." Naruto just smiled, glad to hear Gaara talk of how strong their friendship really was, it made him feel pretty damn good.

Naruto turned around to the Konoha ninja, waving goodbye. Jiraiya looked prepared to give chase but Naruto just stuck his tongue out at him before placing his mask back on and disappeared in a yellow flash, leaving Konoha and Suna without their Kiri companion.

"So that was Naruto..too bad he's engaged!" Temari said after the silence that had enveloped the crowd, and Sakura glared at her.

"Get in line Temari, I saw him first!" The two girls got into a glaring match while Kakashi just looked at Jiraiya, he was fuming with frustration and anger.

_'Dammit! He was so close..and now Tsunade will find out he works for Kiri..not a good day.'_

"Jiraiya-sama? Should we head out?" The white haired man looked at Kakashi and sighed, nodding his head.

Kakashi moved to assemble his squad and finished their goodbyes to the Suna people, albeit it was like walking thin ice after they had threatened Naruto. Jiraiya took on last look at the sun that hung in the sky, silently going over the day and just how bad it had been for Konoha.

_'Not a good day at all...'_

* * *

_Kirigakure, 10 Minutes after Naruto left Suna_

Mei was currently sitting in her office, finishing up her paperwork when a yellow flash made her look up and see her fiance, looking at her with what had to be a smirk under his mask.

"I'M HOME, MEI-HIME!" Mei smiled and leapt into Naruto's outstretched arms, overjoyed to have him back, she had been scared of the outcome since it had taken so long for him to come home.

Almost a week had passed, she had begun to fear for his safety, but now that she felt herself wrapped in his embrace, she no longer had to worry.

"Naru-koi, I missed you so much!" Mei quickly tore off his mask and laid a kiss on his lips, overjoyed to taste her lover again, and Naruto smirked.

"You sure did, I haven't felt that much aggressiveness from you since our _second_ time." Mei smirked at the memory, she had wanted it so bad after the first that she had practically molested him in the morning shower, but he got into it _real_ quick.

"Well you were gone for most of the week, _someone_ has to make up for lost time." She said with a smile, but moaned when she felt Naruto's hungry lips attack her own.

He lifted her onto the Mizukage desk and began to make out with her, glad that she had finished her duties for the day.

Mei broke away from his kiss in a light pant; seeing that neither were escaping from their primal instincts, she began to formulate a plan of action.

"Home? The bathroom? The broom closet?" She spouted off secluded spots in desperation, Naruto just shook his head to all three.

"Too far, me want pussy now!" Naruto tackled her onto the desk, kissing her and taking off his pants at the same time.

"Naruto! AH..not there!"

The day Naruto returned from saving Gaara would be the day the Uzumaki couple christened the Mizukage desk for something other than paperwork..and they did it over five times, just to be sure.

* * *

_Konoha_

Jiraiya was dreading every step he took towards the Hokage tower, afraid of Tsunade's reaction to the news. While the mission was technically a success, the news on Naruto he had to give her would not be taken very well.

He was immediately let in to see Tsunade and began to relay the mission and it's contents to the half-listening Tsunade, delaying Naruto until the last part.

As soon as he uttered the words 'Naruto' and 'Kiri' she exploded, her face in an unbridled fit of rage and her scream echoed Konoha, some even felt tremors of earthquakes and an echo of the scream Tsunade let out.

"WHAT!?"

* * *

_Kirigakure, Mizukage Suite, Sixth Round_

Mei quieted her moans for a moment as she felt a very ominous danger tug at her heart, Naruto was confused as to what she was doing; she had been on top and stopped ramming herself onto his dick.

"Mei, what's wrong?" The red head looked back down at Naruto and frowned, unsure of what to feel.

"It's..nothing Naruto, just a bad feeling, that's all." Naruto frowned but then smirked, he would make her feel better.

Naruto began to ram up into her, instantly making her forget about her worries and focused more on the resounding pleasure Naruto was giving her.

"AH! Naruto!" She began to meet his thrusts, finding a rhythm in her own movements as they brought each other closer to orgasm.

Naruto leaned up and captured her taut nipple in his mouth, nibbling and sucking on the wonderful breasts that ensnared his attention whenever he saw her naked. His pleasure increased when she rode him, they always jiggled and bounced, enticing Naruto to take a bite..which he did many times.

"SO GOOD, FEELS SO..AH!" Mei could no longer take the feeling, his hands massaging her ass, his thrusts deep inside of her _and_ his mouth dominating her breasts was just too much, and Mei came with everything she had, Naruto soon following with his own moan of pleasure.

After such a good bout of 'fun time', the Mizukage completely forgot about any danger or bad omens that she might of sensed, but _they_ had not forgotten her.

* * *

_Short add-on, Takes Place while Naruto was away_

The Mizukage walked along the streets, heading to her office to start the day, another day without Naruto. She had woken up from their fun after he left and cursed herself for giving into blissful unconsciousness, she didn't even get to say goodbye to him. As she walked, she absently picked up on the random conversation of villagers and shinobi, having nothing better to do.

"Did you hear? Little Chiyo finally found herself a man, they're getting engaged! Soon enough they will be gone on the honeymoon." An aging mother told her sister, her little daughter was growing up so fast, the other woman just giggled and gossiped some more. Mei looked at the ground, silently brooding.

_'A man..engagement..Naruto-koi gone..?!'_

"Yeah man, I was just reading in this latest release of my favorite manga, the girl was all like 'shut up or I'll kill you', the look on his face was priceless!" Some civilian teenagers talked about something Mei didn't care about, but did she hear 'kill'?!

_'A man engaged..Naruto-koi gone..killed?!'_

The Mizukage practically stalked up the stairs, taking notice of Chōjūrō speaking with Ao, a hunter-nin, by the door to her office; she leaked a killing intent that could scare Madara Uchiha.

"I'm telling you, Naruto is going to catch up to my kill tally back at HQ, he even beat me in getting engaged first!" The Swordsman just shrugged to the older man's complaints, now focusing on the Mizukage who had walked up behind Ao, her voice taking a cheerful tone and she wore a friendly smile on her face.

The blond swordsman was confused, she looked like she was practically _radiating_ evil a second ago.

"Ao..shut up or I'll kill you." And with that, the busty Kage walked off with a smile on her face and continued making her way to her desk, completely oblivious to the two shinobi looking after her with surprised or in the Swordsman's case..terrified expressions. Ao just kept staring at the wooden doors the woman had closed, mouth gaping in confusion.

"..What the hell did I do?"

* * *

Done! I will admit to, besides other pairings like NaruxMei and NaruxKari, I am a devoted NaruSaku fan. Although, recently I have _really_ started to just hate Sakura for how much of a bitch she really has been, the fake confession was a little too much in my book. But still, if Naruto somehow survives the final battle with Sasuke in the manga (which I truly believe that he won't), NaruSaku seems to be the most obvious pairing unless Naruto admits to feeling something for Hinata or Sakura ends up dying before the end. Oh well, hope you enjoyed the chapter.

The little short at the end was..well because I wanted to and a few had told me of her OOC attitude so far. I'll try to incorporate the gag more in the writing, but it usually skips my mind while I'm trying to progress the plot. Trust me, I want Mei in character, I love her just the way she is :D.


	7. Tense Negotions, Kiri vs Konoha!

Uzumaki Clan's Rebirth

Chapter 7

Tense Negotions, Kiri vs. Konoha!

**Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO!**

"speaking"

_'thinking'_

"**Jutsu**"

**"Tailed Beast Speak"**

NaruxMei

**BLOODLINE WARNING**: Naruto uses **Lava** and **Boil** Release in this story. He has three elements in total because of his bloodlimit, Fire, Water, and Earth.

* * *

_Mizukage Suite, Three Days after Gaara's Rescue_

"Your squad has been assembled today for a new mission, it is a joint operation with Kumogakure's special forces, the 'Kinkaku Bounty Squad'. It can be translated as the elite of their own hunter-nin division; they don't like to play by the rules, even compared to normal hunter-nin procedures. This is to strengthen our relations with our northern neighbor and also to show our strength has not waned over the past few years, I have picked the best of the best for this mission, I know you will not fail."

The Mizukage stood before five kneeling hunter-nin, elite trackers of her village's ANBU division. The leader, a ninja with a large two-ended broadsword stood in the middle of the line, easily the tallest and with the most brawn; he also happened to be Mei's fiance.

Naruto knelt in front of his Mizukage, chest out with pride as he heard her compliments to his unit. He had been given the order this morning to gather the best four hunters in the corps for a special mission, and he had to say he was interested in meeting these Kinkaku Hunters. They were rumored to be the ones to defeat the Nidaime Hokage during the First Shinobi War, quite a feat that they apparently brag about today. Since those times, the squad has been integrated into standard procedures amongst the Kumo Ninja Corp, namely the ANBU Hunters.

"The mission details will be given upon your rendezvous with the Kumo squad, and they will be located in Wave Country. Your mission starts..now!" Mei made a cutting motion with her arm, and the squad disappeared in a blur.

The Mizukage sighed, she wished that Naruto didn't have to work today, she could really use one of his 'special' massages he only gave her. She shrugged her shoulders and stood in front of the window, overlooking the village, she hoped that his mission would go off without a hitch.

Mei sensed a presence coming towards her office and turned around to find a messenger-nin, his face was gaunt and his breathe ragged. He took out a message from his bag and handed to the Mizukage, she looked it up and down and found that it was a message from _Fire_ country. Her heart seized up for a moment, remembering Naruto's debriefing, she had been reluctantly expecting this.

She opened the message and read the simple, short message that had an obviously sinister undertone to it.

_'To the Mizukage of Kirigakure_

_Konoha has sent an envoy of shinobi to your country to discuss recent issues that have come up between our two Shinobi Villages, the group is led by the Hokage herself. This is a pure diplomatic meeting, no hostilities have arisen yet, we only wish to discuss our problems together. You can expect the Hokage within a few days, please welcome her and show her hospitality, she is known for a quick temper, one that has become apparent as of recent events concerning her._

_Konoha Council'_

Mei set the message down and felt a cold shiver run down her spine, so this was Naruto's 'baachan'? She was already a bit afraid to see her, let alone try and think of way to avoid confrontation, especially with Naruto out of the village, but she had no choice.

_'This is bad, hurry home Naru-koi..'_

(Can anyone see the foreshadowing of a 'cat fight'? ^^ I know _I _do, hee hee)

* * *

_Fire Nation, Coast_

"Alright, I've booked us passage to Kiri. I hope they got the message to be expecting us.." Kakashi alerted the other members of the diplomatic team, they were in a port city along what little coast Fire Country owned.

"That's good..I hope the Mizukage is ready..same goes for Naruto.." Sakura said, she felt chills go down her spine every time she glanced at her sensei, she had not said one word since they left Konoha.

The few others amongst the group were quiet, Jiraiya stood off to the side of the port ticket building, and Rock Lee stood at attention near Sakura. Immediately after receiving the news of Naruto's affiliation with Kiri and the possible alliance between Suna and Kiri, she had called for immediate action to the problem, one of which Danzo readily agreed to. He had suggested that she and a few hand picked shinobi go to Kiri and attempt to negotiate, solve the problem without fighting.

"That whore..she lied to me..lied to me, the Hokage.." Tsunade mumbled to herself, still not believing that she had been decieved not only by the Mizukage but her little Naruto was engaged to the slut.

"The boat is here, come on Hokage-sama." Rock Lee mentioned upon seeing a boat pull up to the dock next to them.

The squad filed aboard and felt the cumbersome shipping boat move itself out of the harbor, it's destination was Kiri.

* * *

_Wave Country, 2 days since Mission Start_

Naruto and his squad stalked through the dense mist and foliage of Wave country, searching for the rendezvous with the Kinkaku squad. For the most part, the Kiri hunters had run across the ocean with a few pit stops along the way, small uninhabited islands set aside as resting stations for Kiri shinobi.

"Hunter-1, I have a visual on..something." Naruto turned to Hunter-2, a man with tousled brown hair and red designs on his mask.

Naruto held up his fist for the squad to stop and crept over to the ninja, and he pointed to something that was gleaming with reflected light in the distance. It was a bit bright, but only a trained shinobi would have noticed it, and a trained shinobi would have known how to hide that kind of obvious signal.

_'So whoever it is is purposely showing off the light..either a trap, or the Kinkaku alerting their presence.'_

"Hunter-2, hold your position. 3 and 4 will follow me in beta formation, search tactics, they could be our Kumo allies." The squad nodded and fanned out into the mist, and Naruto began to move straight towards the gold shimmer in the distance.

Even though he could not see his fellow hunters, he knew they were watching him, they were to be his lifeline to keep him from falling into a trap. Upon reaching the front of the tree, Naruto was not surprised when three blurs appeared in front of him, each with an interesting Kumo uniform and a peculiar golden demon mask with horns.

Naruto's squad, minus Hunter-2, appeared at his sides, kunai at the ready. Naruto held up an arm and waved away their weapons, these men were not their enemies. The apparent leader, a light-skinned man with blond hair, took a step forward and bowed slightly in respect to Naruto who returned the favor.

"Kiri hunters, it is nice that you have joined us, we were beginning to think that our signal wasn't conspicuous enough.." His men got a snicker from that, and Naruto could feel his team's and his own temper flare.

"Not at all, we figured that we would have you wait a while for us, no need to rush things." Naruto eyed the Kumo hunters angrily, safely hiding his emotions behind his mask. The leader pointed a finger over Naruto's shoulder and scoffed, eliciting his attention.

"You can tell your other hunter he can come out now, we aren't hostiles. We have an attack to plan, and we can't do it without everyone here." Naruto silently cursed, waving his arm in a 'come here' fashion, his hunter appeared behind him with what was surely an annoyed expression.

_'They detected our backup so easily..these men are not to be taken lightly. Their armor is also very interesting, especially for hunters..'_

The men indeed had interesting armor, besides their black underclothes, their armor was a strange metal that was a pure gold. Shoulder guards, studded gloves, demon masks, and even their body plate armor was a golden color, something that could be seen as an obvious disadvantage to a shinobi, especially assassins like they were.

"I see you're looking at our armor, pretty bad ass, right? We recently received a large import of steel and other strong armor materials from our friends overseas, and that has allowed Kumo to flesh out it's defensive armor for it's shinobi. The Kinkaku squad received these recently from Kumo forgers in the capital." Naruto nodded, he was very impressed with their armor, but he still preferred his own over it.

"Alright Kumo-san.." Naruto was cut off by the leader raising his hand for quiet and then moving it into a hand shake position, surprising Naruto.

"The name is Tamura Yotsuki, and you are..?" Naruto gripped the man's hand with his own, feeling the other shinobi put a bit of pressure on his hand, so he returned it with vigor.

"My name is Naruto Uzumaki, Swordsman of the Mist."

_'This guy..either Kumo has some bad history with us, or this captain really doesn't like me..'_

"Well then Naruto, how about we get started? I presume your Mizukage told you that we have asked for your help?" Naruto nodded and it made all three Kinkaku scoff, confusing the Kiri squad.

"Well that's a load of shit, since our Raikage told us to cooperate with you _or else_. Apparently this is a pretty big relationship booster between our nations and it's very important to play nice blah blah blah.." The captain openly mocked their orders, making Naruto question just how loose the Kinkaku squad's leash was in Kumo.

"Let me tell you something _Naruto_.." He practically spat out his name." _We. Do. Not. Need. You._, understand? This was _my_ operation until that pro-wrestler asshole thought it prudent to make me work with some pussies from Kir" The man was unable to finish when he had Naruto's broadsword at his throat, and while his two friends would have reacted, they both had their sword wrists in a bind with Naruto's hunter's **Water Release: Water Whip **technique.

Naruto quickly took in the Kumo ninjas abilities, starting with their swordsmanship.

_'Katanas, I had heard rumors that many Cloud shinobi train with longswords instead of kunai, but I never would have guessed that they took that much pride in the sword itself. Immaculate, not a scratch on it, and beautiful golden designs on their blades, these guys are professional.'_

"Ah..finally took offense to something I said?" The man chuckled, making Naruto growl. "It's true, we don't need you or your fucking sword, probably couldn't touch a fly with this piece of over-sized plastic." Mock Naruto and he got pissed, mock Kiri or Mei and you were a dead man, mock his broadsword..you'll wish you were dead.

"'Over-sized piece of plastic'? I haven't heard that one before, Tamura. How about we test your theory, I think I see a fly right over your carotid artery.." The man gulped, but kept his cool as Naruto moved his sword above the neck artery; he was an elite after all.

Tamura finally sighed, holding his hands up in defeat and ending the confrontation. Naruto _slowly_ backed away, and his shinobi released the water ropes from the other two 'Golden Horn' members. They held their wrists and rubbed them in quiet anguish, the water was tight and restricting around their skin.

"Whatever, we'll tell you the plan but _we_ will do all the work, understand?" Naruto just nodded, he figured that if nothing else, he would get to see these big talkers in action; that would be plenty of payment for him getting put on this useless mission.

* * *

_Kirigakure, Front Gate_

Mei stood uneasily at the main gate with a large contingent of Kiri shinobi, flanked by Chōjūrō and Ao. While Mei looked to be in control on the outside, inside she was sweating at the impending arrival of Konoha. Not only did they know she lied to them about Naruto, but Tsunade herself was known to be protective about Naruto back when he was in Konoha; Mei could only guess at her reaction to their engagement.

"Ma'am, they are only a half mile out." Ao whispered in her ear, his Byakugan activated and watching the Konoha shinobi.

"How many?" She asked with a level tone, not bothering to whisper.

"Five, I recognize the Hokage and the Toad Sannin Jiraiya. There is also the famous copy ninja of the Leaf, Kakashi Hatake. The other two appear to be very young, probably apprentices to the older ninja, they don't look threatening." Mei scoffed at that, looks were _always_ deceiving.

The mist dissipated in the road in front of them, revealing the small Konoha group, all looked happy to finally have arrived in Kiri. Mei locked eyes uncomfortably with Tsunade, but she practically slapped herself and took on a confident demeanor. This was it, probably the most important meeting with another nation and she couldn't afford to mess up, not with Naruto's life and Kiri's wellbeing on the table, she would stay strong for them.

The two busty Kage separated from their respected bodyguards and met each other in the middle of the road, Mei forced a welcoming smile on her face. Tsunade didn't even manage that, she kept her 'poker face' on the entire time, not bothering with pleasantries.

"Welcome to Kirigakure, Hokage-sama. I hope your trip here was not too tiring or long, it is a bit of a long way from home for you.." Tsunade waved her hand dismissively, not complaining about the trip.

"The trip was fine, and I am prepared to speak with you now. There is no need to gather your council either, I wish only to speak with _you_." Tsunade whispered the final part in a hiss, making Mei narrow her eyes ever-so-slightly, she turned and motioned for the gate; the Kiri ninja moving out of the way for the two.

"My office is this way, your bodyguards can wait out in the lobby with my own while we.._discuss_." Mei offered, putting a certain edge on her voice with the mention of their 'private talk'.

She had no doubt it would turn into a screaming match, she could only hope that Kiri did not become the battleground.

* * *

_Kirigakure, Mizukage Suite_

Mei and Tsunade entered the Mizukage's office and the red head closed the door herself, moving to sit in her chair and allowing Tsunade to begrudgingly sit on the couch. Mei sensed an observer's presence and quickly waved her hand, her voice growing stern.

"Leave us." Tsunade turned to see no less than three ANBU 'phase' into view; they bowed their heads and disappeared, joining the bodyguards on the other side of the wall.

Mei brought up her hands and laced the fingers together, staring at the barely hidden animosity inside the Hokage's hazel eyes. She spoke with an 'all business' tone, wanting to keep this as professional as possible, although she highly doubted Tsunade would honor that request for long.

"What would you like to talk about, Hokage-sama?" Tsunade growled, a direct and rude insult to Mei's friendly introduction, but in the blond's mind, she deserved it.

"I think you know _damn_ well what I want to talk about..where is Naruto?" Mei sighed, already seeing where the discussion was going and not liking it at all.

"Naruto-koi is out on a mission, he will not be back for some time. If" Mei was interrupted when a hand slammed down on her desk, leaving an imprint in the wood.

"I bet you did that on purpose! Sent him on a mission because you _knew_ I would want to see him about this problem." Mei held up her hand in a dissmissive gesture and held back a frustrated sigh.

"I had just sent Naruto's hunter squad when your council's message arrived. Had I known, I would have kept him here to help us sort this issue out." Tsunade didn't buy it, but she saw that the younger woman wouldn't back down so she attacked from another angle.

"And what is this I hear, 'Naruto-koi'?! You probably seduced him into that engage" Tsunade was stopped when the Mizukage stood straight up from her chair, an angered scowl on her face.

"_Don't. you. dare._ insinuate that I seduced Naruto! I fell for his charms and his love like any real woman would, this doesn't even have any merit on the situation" Tsunade was in her face immediately, pissed that she would brush off Tsunade's questioning of the engagement.

"It has everything to do with this engagement! If Naruto would never have come here, he wouldn't be engaged to you, he would still be in Konoha where he belongs!" Mei processed the information and started to giggle; her face cracked into a wide smile as she began to laugh hysterically, confusing and angering Tsunade further.

"HAHAHAHA! You say that..Naruto..hehehe..belongs in Konoha? That is the most absurd thing I have heard for a while now! How can you expect him to feel like he belongs when almost everyone caste him out in one way or another because of what he holds inside of him?" Tsunade gasped, she knew about the Nine Tails?

_'Naruto..you didn't..you wouldn't tell her, right? She must have seduced that out of you too, this whore..she has gone too far!'_

"How _dare_ you laugh at me, Naruto has no hate for the village, and when he was there, he loved it with all his heart! It makes no sense for him to just up and leave without any notice, he could have at least come to me before" Mei stepped back in after that, tired of hearing the excuses Tsunade spouted off.

"He _could not_ come to you, no matter what place you hold in his heart. It was his mother's bloodline, and only she would have been a person that he could talk to about it, and since she is gone, Naruto had to find an Uzumaki. He also had great dreams that he wished to accomplish, he wanted to bring the Uzumaki back to the elemental nations, and he could not do that while he was inside your country. He came to Kiri, and he found _me_, since the beginning I have been with him and helped him master his skills until he turned into what he is today. A great shinobi, a greater man, and _the greatest_ fiance I could ask for." Mei finished with a longing smile and a far off look in her eyes, thinking about Naruto and her being together.

Tsunade was taken aback, having Mei explain it from her own angle was comforting, but it wasn't enough to deter the blond.

"Moving away from all our _personal_ issues, you _lied_ to me. Me, the Hokage of Konohagakure! This is an insult that is not taken lightly, especially because of Naruto and his..special status." Mei's mind immediately clicked onto the Hokage's wave lengths, and her smile turned to a disgusted scowl.

"You..you are here because your council wants their _secret weapon_ back, aren't you? I should have known it would come to this, back-room politics always were the bane of a Kage's power." Tsunade lowered her head in shame, in truth she had been pestered about going to war to get Naruto back because he held such a powerful entity inside of him.

She had hoped to just use the thinly veiled threat as a power play during negotiations, she hadn't counted on Mei picking up on the tactic so quickly.

"It is true that Konoha's council sees that Naruto should be returned to Konoha because of his power and influence, but..I don't want him back because of that." Mei silently gasped when she saw Tsunade begin to cry, salty tears falling down her cheeks.

"I want Naruto back because..I..I...love him like I would a son! He grew on me after I returned to Konoha, and when he left, I was heart broken. The village isn't the same without him, and everyone wants him back.." Mei openly scoffed at that, confusing the Hokage.

"That's not what my informants tell me, they say that almost 100% of your village celebrated his death and continue to do so up to this day! Naruto has told me many times he does not wish to return, and as long as he wishes to stay here, he will be a Kiri shinobi! Besides, I lov" Mei was stopped by a harsh slap from Tsunade who was practically fuming over the Mizukage's audacity.

"How dare you! I won't believe you until I hear it from his own mouth that he does not wish to come back home, and your so called 'love' thing has no _merit_ over the situ" Tsunade was stopped from her mocking by an equally hard slap from Mei, both women now sporting red marks on their cheeks.

"_Never doubt my love for Naru-koi_, because I will make sure you regret it! I will not tolerate this kind of insolence, no matter what rank you are Hokage-sama. Now then.." Mei's voice returned to a level, unreadable tone; she pointed to the door.

"I have arranged an apartment for you and your contingent to stay at until Naruto-koi returns, or you may leave Kiri. In any case, I do not expect you to move too freely, we aren't _allies_ and after this display I can't fully trust you not to do something rash, now please leave."

Tsunade scoffed and turned around walking towards the door, she only stopped to look over her shoulder and whisper threatening words to her fellow Kage.

_"This. is. not. OVER."_

* * *

_Kirigakure, Mizukage Suite Lobby_

"Chōjūrō-san, I was wondering if you could tell me about Naruto's training? We were unable to see him in action and I was curious as to.." Jiraiya was cut off by the young Swordsman, who was scratching his head in embarrassment.

"Well..you see..that kind of information is..uh.." Ao just sighed loudly, slapping the younger boy in the back of the head, startling him.

"Chōjūrō! All you have to do is say, 'that information is classified'! End of story..geez. Back in my day, if a boy rambled like you-" Ao trailed off when he saw the double doors swing open and an angry Hokage came out of the office, a dull red imprint on her cheek.

Jiraiya immediately knew something was up, as did the rest of Konoha but wisely kept quiet and fell into step with Tsunade.

"Well? Are one of you _Kiri_ shinobi going to lead us to our temporary dwelling or what?!" The Hokage demanded quite loudly, surprising all shinobi present at her disregard for respect.

The Kiri shinobi looked at one another before Mei walked out, a similar red imprint on her cheek. She pointed out two ANBU and they ushered forward, ready to receive orders.

"Go. Lead them to the dwellings marked in the briefing, the newly rebuilt side of the village." The two ANBU looked at each other and shrugged, moving in front of the Konoha squad and leading them out of sight down the stairs.

Ao turned to the Mizukage, curious as to her unsettling behavior.

"Is everything alright, Mizukage-sama?" Mei barely spared him a glance with her dangerously narrowed eyes, settling for a small sigh to vent some of her anger.

"No, it isn't. Ao, I want you to select and lead a team of our best trackers and keep an eye on the Konoha visitors, I don't trust them to sit idle while Naruto-koi is away." Ao was surprised by the order but nodded, glad that he would have something to do for the next week or so.

"Yes Mizukage-sama, it will be done." Ao disappeared, leaving Mei to walk home with a raging headache from todays events.

_'I really need a hot bath..Naruto-koi, I hope you are enjoying your little vacation, because my soon-to-be in-law is being a real pain. I still can't believe that bitch slapped me, I almost spit lava into her face..almost.'_

* * *

_Wave Country, Unknown Village's Warehouse_

"That's the target, Kiri team, you know the drill." Naruto listened into his communicator and sighed, he knew the _drill_ alright.

The Kiri team was to sit back with popcorn while the Kinkaku took down the petty crime lords and their gangs that were meeting tonight in the warehouse, _woophee_. Naruto was just bursting with excitement over the prospect of doing nothing, but he had no real choice. The Mizukage called it a 'joint operation' but Kinkaku wanted nothing to do with them, so they settled for an uneasy peace agreement.

_'You don't fuck with us, we don't fuck with you.'_

Naruto moved into a better position to observe the warehouse, namely a shattered window near the roof. The mist was extra thick tonight, meaning he could hide relatively easily without the help of jutsu, not that it mattered against these crime bosses, they weren't shinobi after all.

"Kinkaku Bounty Squad, commence the operation!" Naruto watched as the lights inside the warehouse shorted out, surely thanks to a Lightning technique.

Tamura and his two squad mates entered the warehouse quick and quiet, easily below the sounds of the panicked orders and worried murmurs. Tamura decided to use his own technique to fight while his men used their katana with Lightning chakra.

_'This seems like a drug bust, not something Hunter-nin should be doing..'_

Naruto thought quietly, curious as to the Kumo ninja methods.

"**Lightning Release: Bolter Shot.**" Tamura whispered, his hands slowly starting to glow with a dull white lightning coloring, little lightning bolts sizzling between his fingers.

"Remember, keep at least one alive." Tamura alerted his subordinates, they had already charged up their katana and were charging straight for the criminals, lighting up the warehouse with their lightning infused weapons.

They began to cut through enemies, not only killing them with the blade but also with enough electricity to fry their insides into shut down. Once the enemy realized it was suicide to attack the golden shinobi up close, they began to throw kunai and shuriken, slowing their advance. That was when their lightning infused chakra blades _truly _shined, and they used the attack quickly to stop the enemy range fighters.

"**Kenjutsu Style: Lightning Crescent Wave!**"

The Kinkaku sword users swung their swords in a horizontal arc, the Lightning 'leaping' off in a crescent wave of energy straight for the enemie's position. Naruto's eyes widened when he saw the lightning wave decimate the enemy ranks caught in the blast, either slicing them or burning them with electricity.

_'I knew of that type of technique, but I've never seen it used in real combat before..'_

Naruto looked at Tamura who he had not seen do much of anything, until he noticed Tamura had been fighting a large force on the other side of the warehouse, _alone_.

Naruto's eyes widened again when he saw the interesting Lightning technique used by the leader, he would point his fingers at the enemy target and a high speed bolt of lightning would be shot off and impact the enemy. Apparently the lethality of the technique was determined by the amount of chakra put into each 'shot', as Naruto could see the man had already incapacitated a few while the rest lie dead.

"Come on you fucking pussies, is this all you got?! I expected better from the little shits that tried to pick up all of Gato's little pieces of his empire, but you little bitches are horrible!" Naruto cringed at the man's use of 'colorful' vocabulary, and while he wasn't totally innocent either, Naruto didn't curse like a sailor that this man seemed to emulate perfectly.

Naruto watched in amazement as the battle died down, Tamura's lackeys actually finishing off any of the survivors. Naruto and his squad shunshined to join them in the interrogation process, it caused Tamura to look at them with clear disdain and annoyance.

"Kiri-san..what did I tell you about this whole 'teamwork' thing?" Naruto was about at the end of his rope, his teammates barely holding back either.

"Listen..I was given this assignment by the Mizukage herself, and I'm not going to sit on the sidelines the entire time just so you can have your 'glory'! The least you can allow us to do is to join in the non-fighting parts, we have a right to listen in too." Tamura growled but said no more, instead turning his veiled anger to the prisoners he had garnered.

His hand glowed for a second, settling with the occasional spark or crack of lightning chakra emitting from his palm. Tamura smirked and said both to the prisoners and the Kiri team what was going on.

"Kumo Hunter ninja interrogation technique, a perfect device to get what we want by stimulating the body with pain." Tamura walked up to the first samurai-wannabe and placed his hand on the back of his neck, eliciting a loud, agonizing scream from the man.

Naruto and his team were in shock over his methods, he hadn't even asked a question yet!

"I always like to give my prisoners a taste of what could happen to them _first_ before we get started, usually makes them cave in quicker." The man it was used on was glaring murder at the Kinkaku leader but he was completely ignored.

"Now then.." Tamura used his other hand and gripped the man's scraggly black hair, lifting his head up painfully by the roots. "Tell me where Uroi Yotsuki is, I know he has been used by your organization before because of his ninja services, so don't give me any bullshit!"

"Uroi Yotsuki..wait..you must be the hunter ninja he is always droning about, he's been waiting for your asses to get here for quite some time now. He's probably going to fry your" The man was cut off by another shock, this one was directed to his arm, making it twitch uncontrollably while the man screamed in pain.

"That was some great information..now tell me where he is you little bastard!" The interrogation continued for the next ten minutes, Naruto had become bored with the whole thing and was leaning up against a crate when Tamura sighed in frustration.

He walked away from the prisoners and consulted with the hunter ninja assembled.

"I can't seem to get the little pansy to give up his location, it's as if he's been through the interrogation tactic before and is..hardened to it or something." Naruto tapped his fingers on the crate he was near, thinking about the problem.

"It's possible that this Uroi of yours, since he knew you would come, did these same or similar techniques on some of the more well-informed gang members, keeping them from revealing his secrets." Naruto suggested, making Tamura turn to him with a befuddled but understanding gaze.

Tamura seemed to think about the possibility more and more, slowly nodding to himself.

"Yes, that would make sense from the man's earlier statement. But this is our quickest way of getting info, how else are we going to get him to talk?" Naruto decided to commune with his bijuu while everyone else contemplated the question.

_'Hey, Kyuubi. Do you think with a little of your chakra and a lot of killer intent, we could freak this guy out enough to get him to talk?'_

**"Well, if you were able to make eye contact with my chakra coursing through you, I could plant a little **_**genjutsu**_** I know into the man's consciousness, it should freak him out enough to crack."**

Naruto nodded and spoke up, bringing the attention back to him.

"I think I have a way, just give me a minute with him alone and I can get him talking." Naruto stood straight and began to walk towards the prisoner but was stopped by a rough hand on his shoulder from a glaring Tamura.

"This is _my_ mission, Naruto! I can handle this, now step down!" Naruto gripped the man's arm and threatened to break it with the intense strength he was putting on it, making Tamura cringe under his mask.

"Listen _Tamura_, you need to wake up and realize that you can't do everything! Right now, no matter how much I wish I was not, I _am_ your teammate and I'm trying to fucking _help_ you. Now get off your damn _cloud_ of greatness and back down to earth's reality and _piss. off!_" Naruto finished his little speech with intensifying the strain on the man's arm to it's zenith, making him howl with anger and pain.

"You son of a bitch.." Naruto just kept walking, ignoring the temper tantrum the captain was probably throwing in his mind.

He took the prisoner roughly by the arm and dragged him behind a crate, scaring the man into thinking they were going to kill him.

"Alright now then, lo**ok into my eyes and see what will befall you mortal!**" Naruto's voice slowly changed as Kyuubi's chakra leaked into his system, flooding him with strength and bloodlust.

No matter how much he trained and harnessed the red chakra, he could never defeat the nagging feeling for death and blood to reign when he used it.

Naruto took off his mask and the man saw slitted, demon eyes that were blood red in color, scaring him to the point of almost fainting. His eyes soon dilated, having been caught in the genjutsu, and Naruto waited for a few moments before he started to scream bloody murder and attempt to break his bonds. Naruto held him steady, waiting for him to calm down somewhat before he could ask the question.

After a few more tense moments, the man's voice had broken into quiet sobs and whimpers.

"Uroi Yotsuki, where is he?" The man looked into Naruto's now masked eyes and opened his mouth, voice barely above a whisper.

"Old Momochi contractor hideout, deep forest..10 miles east of here." The man collapsed then, and Naruto was glad that the jutsu worked.

He was also curious if this 'Momochi' was the same Zabuza Momochi he had fought in Wave once before.

Rejoining the team, he alerted the astounded ninja of both villages the information, skirting around the how he did it part.

The teams were soon leaping through the trees, Tamura near Naruto in quiet deliberation over the younger blond's earlier words and his actions so far.

"Naruto.." Tamura started, eliciting a slight glance from the blond, he grimaced under his mask.

'_I guess I was a pretty big jackass, this mission is too personal for me.'_

"Naruto, I'm..sorry. I shouldn't have been snapping at you like that, but this mission is personal as I'm sure you've guessed by now. I shouldn't have shut you out of the investigation like that, it was wrong of me." To say Naruto was surprised was an understatement, although he had predicted the 'personal' part.

'_Their last names are the same, they are related somehow.'_

"I can only guess you two are related.." Tamura nodded slowly. "Is he your..brother?" Tamura actually started laughing, having to stop jumping for a second to catch his breathe.

"HA! Nowhere close, but nice guess. That pussy could never be my brother, but the Yotsuki clan is large in Kumo, and he is my distant cousin, nothing more nothing less. It's one of those, 'guy betrays clan, clan pursues him' type deals, except they picked me for the job! I'm not nice on _good _days, and if you couldn't tell yet, this is a _bad_ day for me."

Naruto nodded, the Uzumaki clan may be no more at the moment, but Naruto would surely chase down any traitor with a zeal unheard of by most shinobi.

"Well what are we waiting for? Let's go catch us a traitor!" Naruto disappeared in a swirl of water, moving quicker than he had been before with the boost of chakra. Tamura smirked, disappearing in a silent bolt of lightning.

'_I think I may like this guy..Naruto Uzumaki.'_

* * *

_Wave, Old Momochi Contractor base, Deep Forest _

"So, they have finally come to free this body from the wretched soul within? I have been getting awfully bored lately.." Uroi sat on a throne, added by himself to the hideout, waiting for the assassins to enter his unguarded keep.

His skin was a dark brown but his hair was a bright blond, almost white resembling the current Raikage. He had twin katana on his back and he shifted uncomfortablly in his Kumo vest and leggings, his black under clothes covering all but his arms.

He smirked when three blurs appeared a few feet from his throne, the golden masks made his eyes widen a bit but he quickly calmed when he recognized the leader of the three.

"Tamura, it's been too long!" The leader stiffened upon the warm welcome from the criminal and oddly kept silent, opting for a few hand motions to his subordinates who nodded and moved away.

"Tamura..it's impolite to not talk to your cousin.." Tamura took his katana in one hand and flooded it with lightning chakra, illuminating the dark room. Uroi also noticed that he was not using both hands like he used to and guessed his other hand had already been used for a technique.

"Uroi Yotsuki.." Tamura's voice cracked from the anger he was feeling from seeing this man again, he cleared his throat and tried again. "You have been charged with the crime of leaving the village and revealing clan secrets to outsiders, it's your time to die!" Tamura and Uroi disappeared and reappeared in the air, Tamura's single sword shaking from his exertion to hold back the enemie's twin katana, also enhanced by nature chakra.

"Tamura, I was sure the clan got over that, it has been so _long_ since that little incident." Tamura pointed his free hand's finger at Uroi's head, shooting off a bolt of lightning that sizzled past the exile when he twisted his neck away.

Uroi began to shake his head back and forth in a scolding manner, and in the blink of an eye, Tamura's free hand was being held at the wrist while Uroi held _both_ katana between his fingers in the other hand.

"That was a dangerous technique Tamura, you could have hurt me." Tamura was pissed, Uroi had become more than the damn weakling he used to be after he stole one of the clan's technique scrolls.

"You piece of shit..AH!" Tamura screamed in agony when Uroi twisted his wrist, rendering it unusable by the Kinkaku captain.

Quickly freeing himself from the traitor's grasp, Tamura started to think up a plan while he nursed his broken wrist.

"A good ninja never lets his guard down, you should know this Tamura." The Kinkaku's eyes widened when he heard the voice from behind him and he could feel the whoosh of air as the katana glided towards his neck.

"CAPTAIN!" His squadmates arrived in the nick of time their own katana covered in lightning and shaking with the attempt to hold the enemy off. Tamura went through a few hand seals, opening his mouth with sparks gathering.

"**Lightning Release: False Darkness!**"

A large, concentrated stream of Lightning chakra sailed into Uroi, making the Kinkaku squad smirk when he was flung back _through_ the wall into an adjacent room.

"Thanks for the save boys, now lets" Tamura was unable to finish when Uroi came bursting through the wall encased in their clan's special Lightning Armor technique.

His fists impacted Tamura's men while Uroi headbutted the surprised squad leader and sent all three down to the ground, he wasn't playing around anymore.

"Now that _did_ hurt Tamura, I guess we aren't playing nice anymore.." His men knocked out by the bone shattering punch enhanced by the nature chakra, Tamura could only watch as the katana descended towards their throats.

"I can't let you do that, Uroi-san." A voice said and Uroi's eyes widened when a large twin bladed broadsword blocked his attack from killing the Kinkaku hunters.

Normally this wouldn't be a problem, Lightning chakra was known to enhance blades to be able to cut through solid steel in a flash, but this weapon would not budge. Uroi gave a quick examination of the opposing blade and noticed numerous seals written on it, a few had lit up from the contact with his chakra and he noticed his katana losing their glow.

'_Shit, containment seals! He's sapping my elemental chakra!'_

Uroi pushed away from the enemy only to find himself wrapped by three additional hunter nin water whips, holding his wrists and neck. The strength forced Uroi onto his knees while Naruto helped Tamura get up and finish the job, but he was sadly mistaken when he heard screams coming from his fellow Kiri ninja.

Uroi's Lightning Armor had been reactivated and it was currently electrocuting Naruto's squad, forcing him into action. Shunshining to the enemy, Naruto swung his broadsword in a wide arc, creating sparks when it was met once again by chakra infused blades. Uroi scowled as his chakra was absorbed again from his blades and attempted to move one blade to hit Naruto's central mass when Naruto altered his grip and pushed the ex-Cloud away from him.

"**Shadow Clone Technique!**"

Naruto's shadow clones quickly moved and picked up all the unconscious ninja in the battlefield, escaping through the large hole in the wall.

"So..we are alone now. I wonder what you will do now, hunter-san." Uroi said, flexing his arms and basking in the feel of Lightning chakra dancing across his skin.

"You may not enjoy it so much.." Naruto formed a single hand sign and shot a large blob of mud towards Uroi, who deftly dodged it, laughing as he did so.

"Mud will not do much against me, hunter. You'll have to.." Uroi trailed off when he heard hardening of rock and turned to see the hole in the wall plugged by newly formed rock.

"So that's what you were" Uroi sensed danger and saw Naruto exhaling some sort of _mist_ from his mouth, and he quickly remembered Kiri's Hidden Mist technique.

"Hiding in a mist won't help you much here, I could easily find..you?!" Uroi watched as his skin began to peel off and his Lightning chakra shield calmed and dissipated away from his body.

Naruto willed the acidity to increase, seeing Uroi's painful expressions showed it to be working, and his skin falling off was a good indicator too.

"What the..what the hell did you do?!" Naruto snickered, glad to have the upper hand in this battle, the Uzumaki bloodline was known to few it seemed.

"Killing you, what's it look like?" Naruto lifted his mask slightly to reveal his mouth and he shot two lava globs, both aimed at and hit his swords, melting the instruments of destruction.

Uroi growled, he wasn't having as much fun anymore, in fact, he wasn't having fun at all!

His skin was bleeding now, muscle had been revealed in some places and it burned like his entire body just got hit with anti-bacteria spray.

"Then again..while I could just what you melt away, I think Tamura would like the honor so.." Unable to stop him, Uroi watched as Naruto dissapeared and felt a jab to his neck, and everything went black.

* * *

_Wave Hideout, Ten Minutes later_

"Tamura, he is all yours." Naruto dropped a tied up Uroi at his feet, still wounded from his battle with Naruto.

Tamura looked down shocked at the Kiri ninja's ability, he did what the Kinkaku squad could not..what _he_ could not.

"Naruto..how did you" Naruto just shook his head, and Tamura understood, most ninja didn't like to reveal their techniques if they didn't have to.

"Tamura, spare me.." The golden masked leader scowled at the now begging traitor of Kumo, and he kicked him in the ribs to shut him up.

"You die _now_.." Temura gathered a specific amount of chakra into his two pointer fingers, asking Naruto to hold the criminal so he was kneeling.

Tamura jabbed the two fingers into two different spots, the back of Uroi's neck at his spinal cord and one right to his heart. The Lightning chakra worked its magic, shutting down the nervous system and the heart organ with overloads of concentrated electricity.

Naruto was slightly intrigued by the method, but knew better than to ask.

"Naruto.." Naruto turned into a punch sent by Temura, just barely dodging it, his hand already on his broadsword.

"That..was for beating him without me. Thank you though..if it wasn't you for you, we wouldn't have just lost, we would be dead. I..we will not forget this Naruto, if you ever need help, you can count on Kinkaku Bounty Hunters to come to your aid! We'll spread the word, keep in touch alright? We'll dispose of the body right here."

Naruto nodded and walked off, mentally noting the location of the base and the reminder of help from the Bounty Hunters; his squad fell into place behind him.

'_So I made new friends, Mei-hime will be **so** proud.'_

* * *

_Kirigakure, Three Days Later_

"We are home, now go take a break!" The other hunters nodded and disappeared leaving Naruto to walk up to a strangely waiting Mei at the gate.

"I'm back..Mei..hime? What's the matter?" Mei looked quite depressed, only barely cheering up upon seeing Naruto here.

"Naruto..we have..unwanted guests." Naruto's eyes widened and then narrowed, hand moving to his broadsword.

"Where? They didn't hurt you did they?" Naruto asked quickly, Mei just shook her head and hugged her fiance, who hesitantly hugged her back.

"No Naruto..it's Konoha." Naruto's eyes widened, they had come for him?!

* * *

Done! I hope you enjoyed Naruto's adventure and the small verbal 'cat fight', I'm sure there will be more to come and not just Mei vs. Tsunade but Mei vs. Sakura too! Tell me what you think about the Kinkaku Bounty Hunters too, they do actually exist in the manga, having been mentioned recently in a flashback, I hope I captured their style right in my imagination.

And yay! Naruto made friends with the tough Kumo hunters! just three more villages to go, wait until Iwa comes along -shivers-.


	8. Naruto Comes Home, Konoha's Plea!

Uzumaki Clan's Rebirth

Chapter 8

Naruto Comes Home, Konoha's Plea!

**Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO!**

"speaking"

_'thinking'_

"**Jutsu**"

**"Tailed Beast Speak"**

NaruxMei

**BLOODLINE WARNING**: Naruto uses **Lava** and **Boil** Release in this story. He has three elements in total because of his bloodlimit, Fire, Water, and Earth.

I know everyone wants to get to the story but I'm going to answer a few reviews that I haven't already done so through private message and allay a few common concerns.

1.**Complaint: Naruto should have Wood Release because he can use Water and Earth!** _Answer:_No, Naruto _can not_ use Wood release like the first Hokage or Yamato, because of the same reason Kakashi can't use Lava and Boil. They don't have the bloodline that allows them to effectively combine the two basic elements into an advanced nature, Naruto's bloodline only allows him to combine Earth and Fire and Water and Fire. Besides, I think _two_ awesome chakra natures/bloodline is good enough, and Wood Release is the _most_ overused superpower bloodline I see, so I think that's boring :P.

2.**Complaint: What happened to Naruto's Wind affinity, how will he do all the cool Rasengan combos?!**

_Answer:_ Come on guys, _five_ affinities is enough, even Naruto isn't god..well at least not in this story. And I don't want anyone complaining on him lacking in jutsu or anything with his missing element, seeing as how he only knew like what, two or three wind techniques? I have a freakin' list of jutsu for Naruto for this story labeled under each element, and all his Hiraishin and Rasengan combos that haven't even been revealed yet ^^. I even made sure Naruto would fulfill his promise to Mei and make a new Boil justu or three..damn did I say that? Hee Hee, don't sweat the details and enjoy Naruto's abilities for what they are, I for one think they are bad ass!

2.**Complaint: You make it sound like (insert person here) will join Naruto and Mei in the relationship!**

_Answer:_Okay, so people haven't actually bitched about this one very much, but I see it becoming a legitimate concern to some. I am a proclaimed hater of 'serious' (big air quotes on that one) harem relationships, since harems really only belong on the lemony side of fanfiction as far as I'm concerned. To bring in another girl or two or three and so on detracts from the main pairing/relationship, and I don't like that in my stories. Naruto and Mei will be the _only_ pairing focused on in this story, so don't worry about that :D.

3.**Complaint: Mei totally should not have taken that slap, I mean she is the Mizukage right!?**

_Answer:_ While this is true, I like to think of it from Mei's perspective when I try and make her personality and her reactions. She just now meets Tsunade, Naruto's loving 'baachan' from his Konoha days, and sees her as being family once they get married. She is being polite not only because she is the Kage of Konoha but because of Naruto's past with her as well, so she did her best to be nice. Tsunade was so blinded by anger that she lashed out at anything and everything, and it lead to a giant hatred wall to come between them. Mei isn't going to take her bullshit anymore, especially now that Naruto is back to defend himself.

4.**What about Naruto's summoning Contract, what happened to the Toads?**

_Answer:_ This one goes out to BenX, an anonymous reader that I can't message the answer to. While I won't say exactly what's going to happen, Naruto will speak with the toads and work out a compromise, even though the toads aren't _only_ loyal to Konoha (They don't wear Konoha headbands ^^). Naruto's travels will lead to him to find another summoning contract that I don't think has ever been used in common fanfictions, but has been seen in the Manga/Anime, that is all I'll say for now :P.

6. This next one is my own complaint to a great variety of you, but not _all_ of my readers. I'm sure many authors get fed up with this, I just want to see if I get a reaction :P.

**Complaint: Hmm..my math might not be the best but I have over 400 favorites and over 350 alerts, and yet I only have 200 reviews..WTF?!**

I mean seriously guys, if you favorite a story, generally that means you enjoy reading my story right? Well I'll let you in on a secret, the more reviews I get, the more it makes me want to write the next chapter _quicker_ ^^. So if you have never reviewed my story but favorited it, get to reviewing, I especially enjoy the reviewers who give me more than one sentence, you guys who have reviewed so far are awesome -applause-!

7.**Complaint: Damn you G3rMan and your cliffhangers!**

_Answer: _I actually don't mean to write cliffhangers that much, but when I look back at my writing, I tend to have a lot of them. I definitely think that it keeps everyone on the edge of their seat though, myself included, because it's always a surprise for me with the direction of each chapter, so deal with 'em like I do :D.

Wow, that was a big rant/author note! Sorry it took so long, please reference this if they answer any of your burning questions, otherwise feel free to drop a review or private message me a question, and no, I don't take requests!

* * *

_Kirigakure Front Gate_

Naruto ripped off his mask and looked into Mei's worried eyes, making sure she wasn't lying to him, Konoha was here?!

"Mei..are you serious? Konoha is here?" Mei just nodded and placed a hand on his cheek, trying to comfort both him and herself.

"Yes..even Tsunade has come, I'm sure they want to bring you back home. So far, all we have done is argue with each other, and I was at the end of my rope when you arrived. I'm glad you're home, I need your help to explain to Konoha that you do not wish to come back, otherwise.." Naruto totally understood what could happen, if he didn't defuse this now, war could become inevitable.

"Alright, I will meet with them tomorrow if that is alright?" Mei just nodded very slowly, and Naruto was confused at her sluggish behavior. "Did..something happen Mei-hime?" Mei just looked at him and shook her head, but he knew better than that, so he gripped her shoulder in a comforting gesture.

"Don't lie to me Mei, I can see right through you. These 'arguments', how bad have they gotten?" Mei looked into his serious gaze and back down at the ground and sighed, turning away from him.

"When she first came, it was only verbal with a slight..altercation. But now, it's gotten to the point where I can barely keep myself from wringing her and that pink-haired girl's necks!" Naruto's eyes widened, Sakura was here?!

"Wait, altercation? Sakura is here?" Mei sighed again, and started walking towards the compound, Naruto quickly falling into step.

"Tsunade..slapped me after I defended our relationship.." Naruto stopped walking, his body seized at the thought of his baa-chan hurting Mei.

_'What the fuck..Tsunade. Why would you do something like this?'_

".._What?_" Naruto whispered in an edgy voice, his temper raised to it's zenith at the thought of Tsunade slapping his hime over and over again in his head.

Mei turned around and hugged him in the street, not surprised at all by the possessive strength his arms brought with them when they wrapped around her waist.

"If it makes you feel any better, I slapped her back." Mei tried to joke, and thought she succeeded when Naruto's mouth switched from a scowl to a snickering smirk, but it only lasted a second.

"That does help a little, but it doesn't change the fact that she did what she did. She disrespected you, this village..and she has disrespected _me_ too." Mei just shook her head at his reasoning but said nothing, it was impossible to reason with an Uzumaki when they were angry; the clan was known for being stubborn.

"I know Naruto, but that is why you need to speak with her. No matter how many times I tell her that you don't wish to come back, she won't believe me, you are the only one she will listen to now."

Naruto nodded, knowing that it was his duty to clean up the mess he had brought to Kiri, he had to be the one to fix Konoha.

"Alright Mei-hime, but like I said, we'll do that tomorrow. Right now though, I need a bath and you look like you could use one of my..'special' massages." Naruto playfully waggled his eyebrows at the young woman, who actually let out a giggle and started smiling.

"_You read my mind_, how about we knock both out at the same time?" Mei suggested and felt herself being picked up like a bride, Naruto was a bit anxious to feel her again, and she couldn't agree more.

* * *

_Next Day, Kirigakure, Konoha's Arranged Living Quarters_

"Tsunade, we have just received word that the Mizukage wishes to speak with you in her office." Kakashi alerted, frowning inwardly at Tsunade's angry grunt of acknowledgement.

"Yeah yeah, let's go see what the woman has to say.." Kakashi spoke up again, stopping the Hokage's upcoming rant.

"..she also mentioned Naruto was there as well." Even the Kiri guards outside couldn't have caught up with Tsunade if they tried, she had barreled out of the apartment heading straight for the Mizukage's office.

Kakashi looked at the other Konoha ninja and saw them preparing to join Tsunade at the meeting, he walked out into the hall since he was already dressed and ready. He noticed the ANBU outside the door still looking in amazement towards the direction Tsunade left the complex, silently laughing at them.

"What the hell was that..?" One of them mumbled, and Kakashi thought to answer with an embarrassed smile, trying to think of something nice to say but couldn't find the words.

"That..was one excited grandma."

* * *

_Kirigakure, Mizukage Suite_

"Naruto!" Naruto and Mei turned to see the door practically caved in from a sudden weight placed on it, bursting open to find a disheveled and crying Tsunade.

Naruto was unable to stop her when she grabbed onto his bulky frame, feeling slightly uncomfortable from the feeling. He put his own arms around Tsunade and gave a light hug back, patting her shoulder a bit. He didn't feel like being nice to her right now, but it had been three years, the least he could do was offer a hug.

Mei stood off to the side, watching the awkward interaction with conflicted emotions running through her. Of course she was happy that Naruto and Tsunade reunited, but she was also afraid and a bit angry at the outcome of this talk. She didn't like how Tsunade had acted to her so far and she was scared that Naruto might be forced back to Konoha, and she would not allow that.

"Hi, Tsunade." Naruto said with a little tenderness in his voice, but it brought the older woman down not to hear the endearing nickname he had used three years ago.

"Naruto..you little brat! Why did you leave!?" Tsunade leveled a punch right towards Naruto, but found herself staring in shock from Naruto's hand effortlessly holding her own.

Naruto did not look amused, he was not about to be punched for some stupid reason and not fight back.

"Don't. do. that." Naruto ground out, slightly scaring the blond in front of him. Mei remembered he was still angry over what Tsunade had done to her and she moved to calm him, but was stopped by a hand from Naruto.

"I can keep myself in check, Mei-hime." Mei just nodded and backed away from the two.

"Mei hime?" Tsunade looked between the two and wondered why he called her that with such endearment. Surely the engagement was nothing but a farce, a fake thing that the Mizukage had conjured up, right?

Naruto just silently shook his head and walked over to Mei, moving an arm around her waist and slightly tugging her against him. Mei smiled and set a hand on his chest while she leaned into him, comforted by the warm embrace and by the fact that Tsunade looked like a fish out of water.

"Mei is my fiancee, and she is also my princess. I love her more than anything else in this world, since she _is_ my world to begin with! I hear that you don't believe what Mei has said to be true, but I'm telling you that it is." Tsunade just kept staring at the two in shock, not wanting to believe it.

_'If what they say is true, then there is a chance that Naruto..really doesn't want to come back.'_

"But..surely you liked Konoha better, right Naruto? I mean, you only came here to get training on your bloodline and then you were going to come back. I still have _your_ necklace, I was going to give it back when you returned..you will return with us, right?" Tsunade was hoping and praying but received none of her wishes when Naruto slowly shook his head, and she became infuriated when Mei revealed a small smile.

"What the hell are you smiling at, that you won!? Surely Naruto isn't in his right mind with you around, all you will do is use him for your own gains, I can stop you right now!" Tsunade went to attack Mei but was stopped when Naruto appeared in front of her and gripped both of the Hokage's wrists tightly, no matter how hard she struggled.

"Let go..you are not in your right mind Naruto! She's tricked you, it has to be.." Naruto's palm met Tsunade's cheek as he slapped her; if anyone was going mad, it was Tsunade!

"Get a hold of yourself! First you even _think_ about attacking the Mizukage who is _my fiancee_ right in front of me, and now you tell me that it's _her_ fault this happened?! _I_ made the choice to leave,_ I _made the choice to come to Kiri,_ and I_ made the choice to stay. Now, leave Mei out of this and yell at me, because you sure as hell _won't touch her again!_" Naruto seethed, angry that Tsunade was acting like a controlling mother.

"Naruto.." Mei wanted him to calm down and try and see things Tsunade's way as well but was silenced by a loud growl from the busty Kage.

"You shut up! He may be defending you now, but once he sees the others, he will surely be convinced to come back with his _real family_!" Tsunade smirked and whistled, the doors opening and all the Konoha ninja walked in, everyone was happy to see Naruto again, even if he was angry at the moment.

"Naruto! I see your flames of youth have not deteriorated by living in such a wet country as Kiri, it is good to see you my friend!" Naruto was able to crack a smile and hug the overzealous Lee, who had practically charged over to him first.

"Good to see you Lee, you're..just like your sensei.." Lee looked like he had just been told he was allowed to go on a date with Sakura, he was practically overflowing with happiness!

"YES! Thank you for the most youthful compliment, Naruto!" Naruto turned to see Kakashi looking at him with a small smile, having noticed Mei protectively gripping Naruto's hand.

"Naruto..good to see you again." He motioned with his hand to Mei, who was looking at Kakashi with curiosity. "I take it this is the 'love of your life' fiancee you told us about in Suna?" Naruto blushed and nodded, gripping Mei's hand and feeling her squeeze back.

"Yes, my name is Mei Uzumaki, and I am engaged to the perfect man you see in front of you!" Mei finished her introduction with a kiss to Naruto's cheek, who blushed further in embarrassment.

Jiraiya silently stood away from the group, leaned up against a wall, observing everyone's reactions to Naruto. Tsunade was smiling upon seeing Naruto so friendly with the other Konoha ninja, Sakura looked to be getting a bit jealous and moody at Mei and Naruto's clingy attitudes and Kakashi was still as laid back as ever.

_'I suppose I was wrong on my first assumption of the Mizukage, she isn't an old hag. Naruto sure did bag a good one there..wonder if she has any sisters?'_

"Mizukage-sama.." Mei turned to look at Sakura, who she had barely spoken to over the past few days of her being there. All the times they conversed, Sakura would keep conversation to a minimum and sometimes glare at Mei for no reason, frustrating and confusing the red head.

"Yes?" Naruto turned to look at Sakura now, she appeared to be gathering her strength.

"I..I..want to know why you love Naruto! What do you have that other girls don't have, why did you choose him and he chose you?" Mei was surprised at her question but quickly came to the conclusion that she was interested.

_'I haven't the faintest idea why she is though, Naruto told me of her 'behavior' towards him before his leave.'_

She looked around to see everyone was interested in her answer before taking a deep breathe and smiling. She looked at Naruto who was looking down at her from his position beside her, and she moved her hand to rest on his cheek.

"I love.." Mei searched for the right word. "..everything about Naruto. All his quirks, interests, flaws, _secrets_." She glared at Tsunade for a second but quickly continued.

"Naruto has grown up to be quite the handsome young man and a powerful ninja, and I'm sure anyone could have seen that potential when he was younger. Why girls weren't throwing themselves at him is beyond me, but for that I am _very_ thankful." Mei glared at Sakura this time, making the younger girl gulp.

"The best part is that..Naruto reciprocates my love for him. He loves everything about me, even the things that I hate about myself, and he helps me be a better _me_. Love, it is a fickle feeling that is difficult to find, harder to keep, and priceless to own. That..that is why I love Naruto, I'm sure he can agree, right Naruto?" She looked at him and smiled brightly when he smiled at her.

"That's right! I wouldn't ask for my life to turn out another way, I'm very happy with what has come." Sakura frowned after hearing him acknowledge the woman's speech, but quickly recovered with a small smile.

_'I know I cannot have him..perhaps this is for the best.'_

"I understand..thank you Mizukage-sama." Mei just nodded, not really paying attention to anything other than Naruto.

Tsunade had progressively sunk deeper and deeper into anguish as the conversation went on. Sure she was happy Naruto found happiness, but..but _why_ did he find it with _Mei_! Why couldn't he have waited a little longer for Sakura or even found some nice _Konoha_ civilian girl?

"Besides..mom encouraged me to go out and explore the world. She told me that she and my father would be proud, no matter where I lived or went. And with that adventure, I came here and found what I really wanted all along, a nice Uzumaki girl, just like mom said." Mei blushed at that, feeling eyes on her again.

"Naruto..what about your family? What about Konoha.." Tsunade whispered, making Naruto frown at the thought of his precious people.

"While Konoha will always have a place in my heart, I have another family now, one that is just as important that I will not let go of." At that, a large group of Kiri shinobi filed inside, including Ao and Chōjūrō, they fell into standing behind the entangled Uzumaki couple.

"This..is my family." Naruto motioned with his free arm, the Kiri shinobi smiled and gathered around Naruto, clapping hands over his shoulders or Ao messing up his hair. Mei giggled and felt so happy inside to see Naruto finally having what he always wanted, a family and the support of a village, Kiri truly loved Naruto.

The Konoha ninja felt very melancholy after this display of affection from Kiri, no longer could they fool themselves into thinking this a clever genjutsu. Naruto _really_ did like it here and wanted to stay, that left their options close to none.

"But..but what about us?" Tsunade asked meekly, wondering where Konoha now stood in Naruto's heart.

Naruto stopped smiling and looked down at the ground, trying to figure out just that same question.

"Well, I'm technically a missing-nin, so I can't just go back to Konoha." Tsunade's hopes sprung back, was that all?!

"Naruto, I can easily pardon you of that status if you came back, it would be no problem!" Naruto just sadly shook his head.

"I made no mention of coming back with you Tsunade, I was merely stating why it would be dangerous for me to even touch soil from your country."

"_Our_ country." Jiraiya seethed, and Naruto cast a glare at him.

"_Your _country, I no longer align myself with Konoha, I am a Kiri shinobi."

"I will not stand for this nonsense! You will be coming home now!" Tsunade yelled out, her anger once again rising to the surface.

"_Don't tell me what to do_, Hokage. I'm not one of your ninja and I SURE AS HELL AM NOT YOUR CHILD TO BE ORDERED AROUND!" Tsunade gasped at his outburst, causing all the Konoha ninja to flinch, other than Jiraiya.

Tired of staying silent and seeing Tsunade take a beating, he came forward with the ultimatum.

"You know, if Tsunade comes home empty handed, Konoha will be calling for blood. There will be a war if you continue this little vacation Naruto." Naruto was seething, how dare he play off something like this as a vacation!

"First of all, you have no place in this discussion _Jiraiya_. Second of all, _would_ you really risk a war against Kiri, _against me?_" Naruto quietly hissed the last part, shocking the Konoha ninja; Naruto would be willing to fight them?!

"Would you be ready to kill Konoha ninja? Would you be able to do it after personally knowing _each and every _one of their faces!" Jiraiya asked, thinking Naruto could only bluff.

Naruto smirked, what a fool he was.

"You threaten _my _village, _my _friends,_ my _Mizukage? Kirigakure will have my support in any war, _especially_ if it is against Konoha! Besides.." Naruto shrugged his shoulders and let loose a maniacal smirk. "I could always just _accidentally_ let Kyuubi take over my body inside Konoha, would you like that idea better?" Jiraiya gasped as did Tsunade, he could talk with that beast?!

"I think I have a better idea.." Everyone's eyes moved to Kakashi, who had spoken up after the heated arguments started to get bad.

Kakashi had observed the tense feelings between Naruto and the other Konoha ninja for long enough, it was obvious he was not coming back. Even so, Jiraiya and Tsunade had to have _something_ to satisfy them. So..Kakashi thought up something that would appease everyone and it was something that Naruto could easily do anyways.

"How about instead of a war, our two nations settle the problem with an official or unofficial duel between shinobi? Naruto could fight..Jiraiya and that could settle things. If Naruto wins, he stays in Kiri and is allowed to visit Konoha whenever he wishes without any danger to him." Naruto liked the idea, already glaring at Jiraiya in a competitive manner.

"And if I fail?" Naruto asked, but he already knew the answer.

"You must return with us to Konoha." Kakashi announced with a smile, while in reality he was sweating from the glares received from the Mizukage and the Kiri ninja.

"Don't accept Naruto, I'm sure that we could kick this poor countries ass in a war, no point in bothering with such a silly idea!" Ao announced, silently worried that Naruto could lose his battle.

"Yeah Naruto, the Seven Swordsmen are behind you in a war, you know that!" Miro Rotoda, fellow Swordsman of the Mist yelled out. He would gladly march to war with the young blond, having garnered respect for the Jinchuuriki when he was in training to become a Swordsman.

"Naru-koi..it's your decision." Naruto was still smirking, as was Jiraiya; both were confident in their abilities to beat the other.

"I'll do it." Everyone settled down a bit after that, although Kiri was a lot more tense after Naruto's agreement. Tsunade spoke up, angry over the deal.

"That is great and all, but I'm not satisfied! I want to fight Mei in a match as well, see if she is _really _worthy to call Naruto her future husband!" Mei looked at Tsunade with a surprised face, Kiri and Konoha were also taken aback by the request.

_'This bitch wants to see if I'm worthy huh? Well then, I'll just have to give her a show.'_

"Alright..but it will be only Taijutsu, and none of your super strength!" Tsunade smirked at that, she already fought like a brawler without her strength, this would be easy.

"Tomorrow it is then. I think everyone should get some rest for it, let's go home." Kakashi announced, but stayed behind to talk to Naruto.

Naruto saw this and moved to Kakashi as everyone but Mei headed out too.

"Naruto..I'm confident in your abilities. Jiraiya may have confidence too, but I don't believe he can win this match against you." Naruto was surprised. Kakashi set the match up on _purpose?!_

"Wait, you mean you think I'll win anyway?" Kakashi just nodded.

"I told you in Suna, I support you in your choice as Gaara did. Tsunade may not be in the right state of mind to hear it, but it's past time that you chose your destiny, and you have chosen. If this is your place that you wish to be, then I will happily agree. Besides..I failed you as a sensei, and to help you with this, is the least I can do." Kakashi looked down in shame, and Naruto frowned.

"Kakashi..is it true that Jiraiya no longer writes Icha Icha novels since I left?" Kakashi looked up confused, as was Mei but he nodded anyway.

"Yeah, he said that he could no longer sit around researching while you were off missing or something like that. Why?" Naruto smirked deviously, scaring his old teacher.

"In the match tomorrow, I think I can make him see 'the error of his ways'. Hopefully you will be enjoying a new novel soon Kakashi." Naruto mentioned before taking Mei's hand and walking out of the office, leaving a confused but somewhat hopeful copy ninja behind.

_'I wonder what he meant by that?'_

* * *

_Kirigakure, General Training Grounds_

"Are you ready for this Naruto?" Jiraiya had stepped into the aforementioned ring and taunted the blond. Naruto just nodded his head and looked at Ao, the self-designated referree.

"Alright! The rules for this fight, keep it in the ring, everything else is allowed!" Naruto and Jiraiya nodded and Ao stepped back with his arm raised high before lowering it.

Jiraiya roared and charged Naruto who stood with his hands in his trademark technique's hand sign.

"**Shadow Clone Technique!**"

At least two dozen Naruto clones appeared, leaving Jiraiya standing in the middle of the ring wary of his next move. All the clones set up for another jutsu and Jiraiya was prepared for anything..but the jutsu they called out next.

"**Tsunade Harem Technique!**"

Everyone's eyes widened when out of the large batch of smoke came twenty five 'Tsunades' in very skimpy or no clothing at all, leaving Jiraiya foaming at the mouth with blood gushing from his nose.

"Jiraiya-kun.." The girls cooed, wagging fingers for him to come closer, to which he did with a speed thought impossible.

"Oh Tsunade-himes, you have finally seen the error of your ways. I always knew you would call for me eventually, I'll have to thank the gaki later.." Jiraiya felt himself being pulled closer and closer until his face was buried under the clone's excessive cleavage, smothering him into a blissful unconsciousness.

Ao watched on with wide eyes and a small blush before entering the ring and observing Jiraiya; Naruto's clones were long gone from the pervert.

"Naruto has knocked Jiraiya unconscious! Naruto is the winner!" The large Kiri group erupted into cheers, Mei running across the field and kissing him for all she was worth.

"Oh Naruto-koi! That was wonderful! _But.._" Mei released a killer intent directed at Naruto, her eyes taking a hooded glare. Ao recognized that look, she had given it to him many times.

"_But..you will no longer use that technique..EVER. Got it?_" Naruto just gulped and nodded, frightened at her reaction to his winning jutsu.

Mei immediately brightened upon his nod and kissed his lips again before walking off to Naruto's side of the ring; her match was next.

Tsunade meanwhile, to angry at Jiraiya and Naruto to remember the match, was slapping Jiraiya's unconscious face silly.

"Dammit Jiraiya! You wake up right now so I don't feel as bad when I BEAT YOUR ASS!" Mei sighed, already impatient over the blond.

"Are you ready, Hokage-sama?" Tsunade looked up and saw Mei waiting for her in the ring, which she smiled to and entered it herself.

Ao nervously walked up, fearful of either ladies strength.

"Okay, this match will consist of only Taijutsu. Keep it clean, like back in my day when kunoichi-" He was interrupted from his rant by an irate Mei.

"Ao! Shut up and start the match before _I KILL YOU_!" Ao just backed away and made a cutting motion with his arm, signaling the start of the match.

"Alright bitch, let's go!" Tsunade announced, feeling very free now that she was in a ring with the Mizukage.

She was so excited that she wasn't able to catch Mei's sucker punch, she took it right in the jaw and stumbled backward. Tsunade wiped her lip of blood and smirked.

"What the hell was that, a bug bite?" Mei growled and charged the blond again, intent on ending the battle quickly. She generally detested Taijutsu, she much preffered her ninjutsu over hand to hand combat any day.

Tsunade was able to counter her punch and went for an uppercut, one that was narrowly avoided by Mei. With her leg guards, Mei felt she had an advantage over kicking and sent a roundhouse straight for the older woman only to have her leg caught and be thrown across the ring.

Tsunade smirked and went for the downed Mei, bringing the woman into a choke hold and 'inadvertently' zipping her blue dress down a bit, revealing more cleavage than anyone should see other than Naruto.

Kakashi uncomfortably adjusted his pants along with several Kiri ninja, their thoughts intertwined.

_'Whoa..this is hot.'_

Naruto was pissed, he quickly went through a few hand signs that left only himself and Ao in visibility of the arena with an Earth Wall in the way. He brought his hands up to his mouth and called out to the hurting red head, bringing her out of her trance.

"Come on Mei-hime, show her what Uzumaki women CAN DO!" Mei smirked at that, quickly thinking of a way to distract Tsunade.

Seeing her disheveled grey jacket, Mei gripped it and revealed one of the blond's nipples making her gasp and loosen her hold while she tried to adjust her clothing.

After the grip had been lost, Mei headbutted the back of her head into Tsunade's face, causing her to scream in agony when her nose broke. Turning around, she quickly kneed the Hokage's stomach, winding her and pushing her body up in the air momentarily. With this new found elevation she caused, Mei brought a bone crushing elbow into Tsunade's back, sending her sprawling to the ground.

Mei dusted her hands off and readjusted her dress, slowly walking back to Naruto.

"Mei, look out!" Mei's eyes widened when she felt a hand grip her leg and brought her down to the ground, Tsunade was on top of her from the get-go.

"Bitch!" Mei cursed, feeling the weight of each impact and tear on her body, resolutely trying to fight back.

Their clothing was the first casualty of the battle, their anger so high they barley noticed that Mei was now in her torn body suit and short skirt while Tsunade had lost her top long ago.

"How do you like this?" Mei asked when she pinched a nipple and twisted quite harshly, smirking at the pained sound uttered from Tsunade.

To retaliate, the blond quickly punched Mei in the face, the first real damage anyone had done to the other. Mei felt her cheek and hissed in pain, now realizing it was serious.

"Alright..two can play at this game." For the next few minutes, all that could be heard were smacks of knuckles and knees against vulnerable flesh as the two released their emotions in the ring of pain.

The two finally settled the battle with a final blow that had both knock the other out, allowing Naruto to come to the field only after Ao announced a draw.

"Mei-hime.." Naruto whispered as he cradled a hurt Mei, his Kiri Jounin vest already covering her revealed body.

Her eyelids fluttered open for a moment, a small smile gracing her chapped lips.

"Did I..kick her ass, Naru-koi?" Naruto smiled a little, gripping her bloodied hand.

"As far as I'm concerned, you showed her just what an Uzumaki woman can _really_ do. Just, try not to do any of that to me, alright?" Mei giggled a bit but hissed in pain, her ribs cracked from Tsunade's onslaught.

Naruto cringed and yelled at Ao, who was watching the two camps attend to their Kage.

"Ao! Get us a damn medic, the Mizukage is hurt you idiot!" Ao was startled but nodded and began to walk off to get a medical ninja when Sakura called out.

"Wait! I can heal her.." Naruto watched in amazement as Sakura walked up and began to heal the Mizukage's wounds, her bruises and scars disappearing.

"Sakura..why are you doing this?" Sakura looked up at Naruto with a sad smile.

"It is the least I can do Naruto, I want to show support for your relationship even though I wished to be with you..I can see you happy with her. I want to help you Naruto, and if this is the only way I can do it, by healing wounds..then..then I'll do that!" Naruto was shocked at her proclamation but only smiled and nodded, allowing Sakura to smile too.

"Thank you Sakura.."

* * *

_Kirigakure Gates, Next Day_

"Are you sure you won't come with us Naruto?" Rock Lee asked, and smiled sadly when Naruto just shook his head.

Konoha was prepared to leave, indeed empty handed as the Kiri group saw them off.

"Don't worry, I'll make sure to come and visit some time. But like I said before..my place is here." Naruto said with a glance to Mei, who smiled brightly.

"Good luck on your travels Naruto, I hope to see you soon." Kakashi shook his old student's hand, a simple goodbye from a simple, laid back man.

"Yep, I'll probably need it." Next up was Jiraiya, who was still blushing from his memories of yesterday.

"Naruto.." Jiraiya was no good at saying goodbyes, he had planned victory speeches instead. "..I'll be sure to send you the next issue of Icha Icha Paradise." Mei smiled threateningly, making Naruto and Jiraiya flinch in fear.

"And I'll be sure to _burn_ it when it arrives, thank you Toad Sage." Jiraiya just scratched the back of his head and walked away frowning at the thought of someone destroying his works of art like that. Sakura walked up to Naruto with a melancholy smile.

"I'll see you later Sakura, thank you again for what you did for Mei and me." Sakura just nodded and got one more hug from Naruto, one she enjoyed very much.

"I hope to see you soon, Naruto-kun." Naruto inwardly cringed as Tsunade walked up, afraid of what she might say.

"Naruto.."

_'Here it comes..'_

"I want three things promised to me before I go." She held up three fingers with a stern look set on her face. Naruto and Mei gulped.

"Three?" Tsunade nodded.

"One, I want you to visit _monthly_. Two, I want an invitation to the wedding." Naruto had nodded to the first and blushed at the second but nodded anyway, Mei not much better off.

"..and three, I want to see grandchildren before I die, got it?!" She directed the last wish to Mei, thinking she was probably the prude and reserved one in the relationship. Mei gulped.

_'If only you knew, I actually was the one that attacked Naruto first..'_

"Um..Deal." Naruto said, not seeing any real difficulty in meeting the demands, no matter how private they may be.

"Alright..goodbye Naruto." Tsunade said solemnly, wishing he was coming back instead of staying.

She was shocked when Naruto wrapped his arms around her in a tight hug, too shocked to hug him back.

"Goodbye..baa-chan." And with that, he kissed her cheek, leading her to cry from happiness.

She had her little Naruto back, the hero had forgiven her after all.

* * *

_Kirigakure, Mizukage Suite, One Week Later_

"Are you ready for your next mission Naruto?" Mei asked rhetorically, Naruto had been quite bored around Kiri lately and she wanted to reward him with some excitement.

"Yes, Mizukage-sama!" Mei was about to tell him his next mission when a knock came to her door, making her sigh in frustration.

_'I'm always interrupted, this better be important.'_

"Come in!" Naruto turned around to see a haggard messenger with a piece of parchment, and was shocked when it was handed to him and not Mei.

"What does it say, Naruto-koi?" Naruto looked down at the message, his mouth slowly opening in shock from it's contents.

_'Deliver only to the Blond Swordsman of the Mist,_

_Naruto, this is Mikaru, Commander of the Kinkaku Bounty Squad. Tamura told me of you and your exploits upon his return from Wave, and I must say that I'm impressed. While Kumo and Kiri have had our differences, I would like to thank and assure you that you have my organization's support in the future. Now the real reason I have sent this message is a bit more serious._

_From our reports, the dreaded Akatsuki organization, who admittedly our country knows little to nothing about, has been seen moving around in Kumo. While we are not sure of what they are looking for, the Raikage has ordered my forces to keep an eye on them, and from what I have heard amongst rumors is that you have a problem with this organization._

_Whatever the reason, I wish for you to come to the port city of Nagara in Lightning Country immediately, I have received word that Akatsuki has frequented that area, and coincidentally, a Jinchuuriki container of ours, Yugito Nii also does. We are afraid that either Akatsuki will try something or the volatile container will instead, we feel that with your apparent expertise, we may be able to handle the situation better. I have Tamura there to help accommodate you upon arrival, he also has a large contingent of Kinkaku hunters with him, we have no idea what we could be facing with the possible enemies._

_I ask for your speedy arrival, because if you do not act quickly, Tamura will have to intervene on his own. That could lead to any number of results, and I doubt the odds are good for my men. Please, hurry to Nagara and help us keep Akatsuki under control!_

_Mikaru,_

_Kinkaku Bounty Squad_

"Looks like that mission will have to wait Mei-hime. I have another Jinchuuriki to save!"

* * *

Done! Hope you enjoyed it, not much to say here except review. My next release will hopefully be a Sand Maiden chapter, a bit of writers block for that one since I've been writing this one so much, I'll get there though :P.


	9. Jinchuuriki Skirmish, Zombie Brothers!

Uzumaki Clan's Rebirth

Chapter 9

Jinchuuriki Skirmish, Zombie Brothers!

**Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO!**

"speaking"

_'thinking'_

"**Jutsu**"

**"Tailed Beast Speak"**

NaruxMei

**BLOODLINE WARNING**: Naruto uses **Lava** and **Boil** Release in this story. He has three elements in total because of his bloodlimit, Fire, Water, and Earth.

-

_Konoha, Unknown Location_

An aging man sat on a small cushioned chair inside a darkened room, he looked to be waiting for someone. He had many scars on his face and his right eye and right arm were covered in bandages, obscuring their form and making it look as though he were crippled.

A cloaked figure appeared before him and he smiled a warm smile..or at least as warm as Danzo's smiles could get.

"Welcome back.." He lost his smile and looked sternly at the ROOT operative. "Report."

"Sir!" The man sounded off, acknowledging the order.

"From what I have been able to gather, the visit to Kiri did not go well for us. We were unable to obtain the Nine Tails Jinchuuriki and no reparations were made against Water Country." The man reported, quietly noting the little to any change on his leader's visage.

"That..is what I expected. Tsunade can't do anything right for this village, she is too soft and it's because of that boy. I suppose we will have to take matters into our own hands now.." Danzo reached into his pocket and fished out a scroll, he placed it in front of himself.

"Take this scroll and alert Hyō to gather his squad, he has a new mission that is to begin immediately. I don't want any mistakes..Sai." The masked ANBU now revealed to be Sai nodded and along with the scroll, disappeared from sight.

Danzo sighed and looked towards the door, silently contemplating the turn of events.

_'Naruto Uzumaki..did you really think you could escape Konoha's leash that easily? Well, I suppose the roots will just have to drag you back in..'_

-

_Lightning Country, Nagara's Outskirts, Nagara Dam_

Over fifteen Kinkaku Bounty Hunters hid in the mountain paths surrounding Nagara's chief dam and water processing facility where currently two Akatsuki members were seen walking. The cloaked men appeared to be walking in a random direction, but looks were _always_ deceiving.

_"Bolt-1 to Bolt-12, do you still have a visual on Yugito?"_ A radio crackled to life, sending the request to one of the hidden shinobi.

_"Bolt-12 here, I have Yugito in my sights, she is still inside the administrative building. Do you want me to pull her out?"_

_"That is a negative, we are still waiting for our other guest to arrive. Keep an eye on her."_

_"Roger."_

Tamura sighed, wishing the stupid mask wasn't in his way so he could rub his forehead. Trailing both Yugito and Akatsuki was annoying business, he wished they could just knock Yugito out and take her back to Kumo, but it was not meant to be.

_'Come on Naruto, where the hell are you?'_

The message for him to arrive in Nagara had been sent a few days ago, and he hoped Naruto had the skills to move quickly. The Kinkaku captain had a sinking pit in his stomach, he felt like something was going to happen today..something bad.

_"Bolt-15, has anyone arrived at the ports yet?" _Tamura whispered into his mask's radio, hoping that his operative had seen him.

_"That is a negative sir. Unless he is coming by foot, no one has entered this harbor. I'll keep you notified."_ Tamura held back a sigh and just nodded to himself.

He looked left and right, the closest Kinkaku members were leaning over the mountain's edge, flexing their muscles in anger and anticipation. It seemed everyone wanted to take a shot at Akatsuki, even if they didn't have any problems with them to begin with.

_'Probably since they are always smirking, cocky jackasses.'_

_"Sir! This is Bolt-9, the Akatsuki are on the move!"_ Tamura could tell that from where he was, what was the big deal?

_"I know that Bolt-9, what's the rush? They always walk down the same street then go back into town, what's so-"_ Tamura was interrupted when the man hissed back into his radio, his nerves getting the better of him.

_"They are entering the administrative building! They must be headed for Yugito, sir!"_ Tamura was about to order the man to calm down when his radio crackled again.

_"Sir this is Bolt-12, I have lost Yugito! One second she was standing in front of the window and the next she disappeared!"_

_'Great, can anything else go wrong right now?'_

_"Sir the Akatsuki..they're..they're killing everyone in the administrative building, they are slaughtering them!"_

"Shit!" Tamura said aloud, the Akatsuki obviously don't like witnesses.

_"All squads, converge on the surrounding buildings and evacuate as many civilians as you can, the administration building is a no go! I repeat the administrative office is off limits! Bolt-12, find me Yugito now, I don't care if you have to beat her senseless, get her back into town. Bolt-15, if you don't have good news for me, I'm gonna skin your ass!"_

_"Roger that sir!"_ His men chorused their assent and moved at top speeds from their concealment points, moving to the few buildings arround the dam and started to evacuate the confused workers.

_"Bolt-15?"_

_"Sir..I think I see him, he is running across the water sir! I repeat, the Swordsman has arrived!"_

Tamura smirked, the guy made it right on time.

"Alright Naruto, I thought I was going to have to steal all your thunder. This time, looks like your stealing mine."

_'Now the fun begins!'_

-

_Nagara Dam, 5 minutes Ago_

"Hey Kakuzu, is today the day we get to catch the cat?" Hidan asked his masked partner, eliciting a lazy glare from the man.

"I already told you this morning, will you shut up already? If you aren't careful, you might just get yourself killed this time.." Hidan laughed at the man's accusation, how he wished someone _could_ do that.

"Yeah Yeah Kakuzu, whatever you say. I got dibs on this one though, I want a fucking challenge and I hear that she is one _feisty_ feline." Kakuzu sighed and looked him in the eyes.

"Your jokes suck Hidan, sometimes I just want to kill you." Hidan tried and failed to hold back his laugh and Kakuzu had to hold himself back from socking him in the face.

"Well, do you call 'dibs' on the people inside this building as well?" The ex-Taki ninja inquired, eliciting a groan and a mumbled 'no' from the white haired man as they stood in front of a giant office building.

"I guess I could spare a few, but you have to let me do my rituals.."

"I hate your rituals, can't you just skip them?" Kakuzu immediately regretted bothering to ask when the man turned to him with an insulted face.

"_Skip it?_ Skip it?! I can't skip my rituals, that is a blasphemy against god!"

"I was just asking, calm down." Hidan scoffed and actually looked serious for a second.

"You ready?" Kakuzu looked at him with another glare and held up his arm, already hardening it with his special technique.

"Idiot, what the hell kind of question is that?" And with that, he punched through the glass door and walked inside before proceeding to burn through the startled workers with his fire jutsu.

Hidan scoffed again and actually opened the door instead of breaking it, throwing his scythe at a fleeing worker.

"Jackass, always has to have a flashy entrance."

-

_Nagara, Harbor District_

Naruto ran across the water, passing by boats with startled and amazed passengers because of his ability to walk on water. He didn't even spare them a glance though, he was looking for something that would stand out in particular.

He jumped up and landed on the solid concrete wharf, looking at his surroundings and trying to find someone that looked like they were here for him.

_'Let's see..there are a few Kumo shinobi guarding the gate, but they don't appear to be interested..or involved. I also don't see any wiry civilian informants, those guys are easy to spot in a crowd, so that just leaves-'_

"Uzumaki-san?" Naruto turned around with a kunai held against a katana with one of the Kinkaku shinobi holding it.

Naruto stowed away his weapon as the other man did, trying to not make a scene amongst so many civilians.

"There really isn't much time to explain sir, Tamura has already moved to commence operations and I have to get you to their location. If you have a radio, change your frequency to 389.5, that is our squad communication link." Naruto nodded and began to fumble with his communicator while following the golden masked man out of town towards a mountain path flanked by a river.

"So what exactly is the situation, ANBU-san?" The man afforded a glance to his right and looked back forward.

"From what I can tell over the radio, we lost track of Yugito who we were supposed to be tracking. We think that she is their target and recently it sounded like they were finally making their move to attack her, other than that I have no idea. I have been at the docks waiting for you to arrive."

Naruto grunted in acknowledgment and smirked in satisfaction when he started to hear voices emanating from his earpiece, although the words spoken didn't cheer him up.

_"Sir, buildings 2 and 3 have been evacuated, moving to the last one!"_

_"Roger that, can someone give me an update on the administrative building?"_

_"Bolt-5 here, can't see shit from where I am. The windows are covered in blood, it's pretty quiet though sir, I think it might be over."_

_"Bolt-12, did you find the blond yet?" _Naruto was intrigued by this, was he the blond?

_"Roger sir, I found her. The bad news is she is inside that building, more specifically in it's lower levels where the sewers run. Best I can tell is that she is being followed by the two Akatsuki but they are still moving, we have some time."_

_"Keep in touch, prepare yourselves boys! As soon as our guest from Kiri arrives, we will be moving into those tunnels and flushing out the Akatsuki bastards! Maybe Yugito will even reward you poor lonely bastards with a kiss, kami knows most of you need one!"_

_"Yes sir!"_ Naruto smirked, that must have been Tamura, he could always liven up a crowd.

Naruto turned to his guide to ask how much longer.

"When will we get there? I would prefer to save the girl than wrap her in a body bag." The Kinkaku ninja chuckled at that.

"I think most of us have been doubting Akatsuki's abilities, if they were coming after Yugito, they must not know her that well. She is one of the most powerful shinobi of our village, and put that together with the bijuu inside of her and you've got one hell of a combination. No matter how powerful those guys are, they don't stand a chance against her."

Naruto wanted to scoff at that but kept quiet, no need to bring about more hostilities.

_'If only you knew just what we were dealing with, Yugito is the one who doesn't stand a chance. If I don't get there quickly, she might just get captured after all.'_

-

_Nagara Dam, Administration Building, Sewers_

_'Have to keep moving, have to get to the ambush point!'_

Yugito Nii, Jounin of Kumogakure and Jinchuuriki of the Two Tailed Cat was running through the sewers, luring her prey right into a trap. She detested the fact that so many died getting the Akatsuki inside, but she would make the killers pay.

She heard a low whine coming from behind her and picked up the pace, trying to reach the end of the narrow passage. Feeling the light shining on her face from the room she was running into, Yugito jumped inside just as she felt the danger reach her. The blond watched as a scythe sailed harmlessly below her flying body and she landed safely on the water, facing the passage.

"That was a nice move." She heard one of her pursuers comment. "My attacks are the slowest in Akatsuki, so I'm not surprised I wasn't able to hit you."

She watched two men appear in the doorway, the two that she had been observing for the past few weeks in Nagara. The one talking was a white haired man with a slick smirk and a cable he was holding to control his scythe. The other had strange eyes and a Taki headband, his face was covered by a mask and he looked very bored or annoyed.

"So you really are Akatsuki." Yugito commented, confirming her growing suspicions.

"You are the only one left here, _all alone_." The scythe man said, not bothering to confirm or deny the obvious answer. "That glare shows your tough too, this might actually be a challenge Kakuzu."

"This is the Two-Tails Jinchuuriki; if you're not careful, you will probably die." Hidan smiled at his partner for that.

"Thank you for your concern, but I doubt this bitch could kill me." Yugito growled. "No matter how much I wish she could." Hidan added as an afterthought.

"Alright, let's do this." Kakuzu said after a few moments of tense silence; Hidan took out a jashin icon and closed his eyes in prayer.

"Just let me finish praying." Kakuzu sighed, his anger rising again.

"Will you quit it! we have a job to do!" Hidan opened his eyes and met his glare.

"Hey, I don't like it either but the rules are clear!" Yugito was somewhat intrigued by the strange god that the man apparently believed in but raised no questions; they were enemies after all.

Seeing the men distracted, she felt it was time to reveal the reason she ran to this spot.

"You probably think you have me cornered now, but you are wrong." Yugito formed the serpent hand sign and focused her chakra.

Hidan and Kakuzu's eyes widened a bit when they heard the familiar sizzle of an explosive tag and looked at the door to see one explode and then another. Soon all the doors had collapsed in on themselves, leaving the three trapped inside the sewer room.

"I purposely lured you here. Now that I know you are Akatsuki I cannot allow you to leave here and continue your deeds." The Akatsuki had their own little conversation, ignoring the girl.

"Looks like she got us good Kakuzu, we're trapped." Hidan faked distress, his partner showing no real signs of emotion.

"It's not a problem, in fact, this works out even better. She's trapped in here with us, that means no escape in case she tries to turn tail and run." Hidan started laughing after that, much to Yugito and Kakuzu's ire.

"Haha! You actually made a joke Kaku.." Hidan was interrupted when he was back handed by his partner, his fist shaking in anger.

"Would you shut up, we have a job to do!" Hidan just rubbed his lip and shrugged.

"Dammit Kakuzu, why the hell did you have to hit me with your damn jutsu too! That hurt like a bitch!"

"I swear on my name, Yugito Nii of Kumogakure, that I will end you here and now!" Hidan turned back to his target after that, his humorous attitude gone.

"_You'll kill me?_" Hidan asked incredulously, pointing his finger at her. "You know I really hate when people shout out battle cries like that, it makes me angry."

"And when I get pissed, the blood rushes to my head. And when blood rushes to my head-" Hidan was interrupted by Kakuzu, who was at the end of his rope.

"Shut up Hidan, you talk too much." Hidan looked at the green eyed man and shrugged.

"Sorry." He looked back at Yugito. "But when blood rushes to my head, I start forgetting about our objective and just start killing anything and everything."

"If you don't calm down Hidan, I will do it for you. Our orders are absolute."

"Akatsuki's mission really goes against everything I believe in, I mean leaving someone half dead is blasphemy. Can we just talk this out instead?" Yugito's eyes widened in surprise.

"Talk it out?" She asked aloud, curious.

_'What is with these guys?'_

"Hows about you just _let_ us capture you?" Hidan suggested, but soon realized it wasn't the right thing to say when the woman changed from calm to pure anger.

She slammed her hands into the water, her chakra overflowing and changing into a deep flaming blue color. Her hair braid snapped from the sudden pressure and her hair flew up into the air above her, her face in an unbridled fit of rage.

"Don't mess with me!"

Yugito began her transformation into the Two-Tails, the blue chakra quickly taking a lumbering shape of a cat over the two men. Yugito's body completely disappeared and she allowed the Cat's consciousness to take over somewhat, however she kept most of the control. In her new body, she howled a final battle cry over the two surprised Akatsuki.

"Whoa..what is up with her? She just let the beast inside take over her, she looks just like it!"

Kakuzu wasn't given time to respond as a large paw came slamming down on him, forcing him to harden his skin and absorb the impact. Hidan gaped at the large paw beside him, surprised at the beast's pure strength. He wasn't given much time to admire though as the bijuu looked at him with an open mouth and a fireball forming within.

"Shit!" Hidan quickly sidestepped out of the way, just barely avoiding the blast that was meant for him.

The fireball impacted the wall and exploded outwards with a large amount of energy. Outside, the ground surrounding the building began to shake and everyone looked to see the administrative building explode from a large source of pressure.

Hidan avoided falling debris from the wrecked building above, hiding behind a piece of rubble big enough to hide his entire figure. He caught his breathe and peered around a corner, trying to find the enemy and his partner.

"Damn cats, I thought they hated hot stuff!" He spotted the cat, it was glaring right at him with it's pupiless yellow eyes.

"So this is the Two-Tailed Cat everyone calls the 'Living Ghost'? It has me right in it's trap, I'm like a rat in a maze..Hehe that's kinda funny." Hidan chuckled before moving to avoid a swipe that decimated his cover, preparing his scythe when he saw Kakuzu up and moving.

"This..is gonna be fun!"

-

_Nagara Dam, Outside Perimeter_

"What the hell was that explosion?" Naruto asked upon arriving at the 'blockade' the Kinkaku had set up to ward away any civilians.

Tamura stood with at least a dozen other hunters, all snapping on equipment or doing final checks before entering battle. Seeing as he wasn't getting an answer, Naruto stalked up and grabbed Tamura by the collar, eliciting many katana to be drawn against him to which he ignored.

"_What. The. Hell. Was. That.?_" Naruto asked again, sounding out each word like the men were idiots.

He could tell that they were all angry and annoyed by his presence, hell even Tamura didn't seem all that enthusiastic. He didn't care though, he had to find and destroy the Akatsuki before they could get their hands on another Jinchuuriki.

"That..was Yugito's power in combination with her tailed beast. We believe the fighting has already started and we are preparing to set up a perimeter and allow her to fight it out with them." Naruto scoffed.

"So you aren't going to help her? She is one of your own dammit!" The Kinkaku shifted, some crossing their arms while others shook their heads.

"Hey, if you want to get yourself killed by entering the ring with her, that's your call. We _normal_ shinobi would be dead from friendly fire in the first five minutes, we will make sure that if she does lose, they won't get away with her."

"Alright..I'm going in to help her. Watch my back, alright?" He started running towards the fireworks but was stopped by a firm hand on his shoulder from Tamura. Naruto growled, this was taking too long!

"I really would suggest you stay here, you can't keep up with them no matter your skill-" Naruto shrugged off his hand and took off his hunter mask, allowing them to see his face.

"I..am a Jinchuuriki like her, so _I damn well better be able to keep up_! I'm not allowing them to take her and I'm sure as hell not going to let you or your men stop me, got it?" Tamura and the others had silently gasped at the knowledge of him being a Jinchuuriki, but quickly got on the same page with him.

"Alright..just thought I would give you a fair warning. Try to play nice, we enjoy our dams here in Kumo." Naruto smirked, opting to keep his mask off for this battle.

"I'll try, but no promises!" And with that Naruto was off, running straight for the battleground that allowed Yugito's hulking form to be seen.

"Alright men, set up a 2-mile perimeter, no one gets in or out!" The Kinkaku saluted their captain and disappeared, leaving Tamura with his own front row seat to what could be the most interesting battle of the millennium.

-

_Nagara Dam, Administration Building, Ground Level_

"RAOAHHHH!" The large cat swiped it's paw at Hidan again while preparing another fireball to be launched at Kakuzu.

"Come on _pussy_ cat, you'll have to do better than that!" Hidan taunted, weaving in and out of her claws and swipes.

"Get serious Hidan, quit acting tough!" Kakuzu went through three hand seals quickly while standing on the river outside, slamming his foot into the water.

"**Water Release: Water Wall!**"

A large wall of water shot up in front of him and warded off the fireball, but just barely. Kakuzu was squinting from the sheer concentration it required to maintain the wall from the blast; the Two-Tails Fire affinity was truly a powerful thing.

The Akatsuki's plan was to wait until Yugito had exhausted herself of tailed beast chakra and then move in for the kill with Hidan's special technique, but staying alive was no easy feat with this Jinchuuriki. That was why they were picked though, after all, they were nicknamed the 'Zombie Brothers' by Kisame once; no matter what, it just didn't seem possible for the two to die.

"**Lightning Release: False Darkness!**" Using his multiple hearts, Kakuzu was able to use any affinity he wanted, something which silently pleased him to no end.

A yellow outlined mask sprouted from his back and hung over his shoulder, it's mouth opening and gathering an almost purely white ball of chakra. The Two-Tails looked intrigued but cautious, holding it's position while Hidan watched the battle unfold, unable to get close to the Jinchuuriki and get her blood while she was transformed.

The lightning cut across the field and would have slammed into the beast had it not been for it's quick thinking. The bijuu moved itself behind a relatively large size of rubble and that caused the lightning strike the piece. The attack moved through the concrete quickly but gave just enough time for the Two-Tails to break into a run towards Hidan.

_'Shit, I'm gonna be pissed if I have to sew his body back together again.'_

Before Kakuzu could move to help his partner, he felt a tingly warning sensation in the back of his head and turned to see a three-pronged kunai headed straight for his face. Shifting his body to avoid it, his eyes widened when a yellow flash appeared in front of him and a strong punch sent him sailing across the water.

Slowly getting up, he was met with the sight of a blond haired teenager with a large sword on his back and piercing blue eyes glaring at him. Somewhat intrigued, Kakuzu searched his data banks for the kid and could recognize no one that he knew of that had a death wish or grudge against him.

Looking more closely, past the body armor and ninja weapons, he took in notice that the boy had three whisker scars on either cheek. Sifting through his knowledge again, he came to the stunning conclusion.

"You..you are the Nine-Tails Jinchuuriki, aren't you?" Naruto circled the man ominously, flexing his fingers in anticipation.

"Maybe..but that doesn't matter, right? I mean, you are only here for the Two-Tails." Kakuzu watched the boy and silently his anger grew, not enjoying being mocked by this brat.

"That's right, we have no quarrel with you. Why don't you just leave and come back once we are done?" Naruto scoffed at that, although from his tone, he could tell the man didn't really mean the sentiment either.

"Fat chance, eventually, I will be the next one on the menu. Best to help out a fellow Jinchuuriki now and kill a couple goons in the process." Kakuzu growled, a _goon_?!

"I..am not a goon!" Kakuzu started running head on towards Naruto who was amazed by his sheer speed, closing their considerable distance in less than a heart beat.

Naruto barely dodged a punch that went sailing over his lowered shoulder, silently taking notice that his enemies skin had changed to a darker color. Seeing an opening, Naruto sent a kick to the man's midsection but felt himself being grabbed and thrown across the water, bringing himself to a halt a few dozen feet away.

As soon as he landed, he looked up to see Kakuzu with his fist reared back, preparing to punch him. Naruto quickly countered by throwing his hand up and catching the fist with a palm, shaking with exertion to hold back the Taki ninja's attack. Kakuzu growled and hardened his head, launching a devastating headbutt that immediately broke Naruto's nose and broke his hold over Kakuzu's fist.

Without any further waiting, Kakuzu slammed his hardened fist into Naruto's stomach and winded him, leaving him powerless against a few strong punches before he defended himself. Waiting for an opening, Naruto felt Kyuubi's power surge through him and he gripped the man's leg from his prone position.

Kakuzu, not expecting the retaliation, felt himself being dragged down and sent straight into a punch that launched him into the air. Naruto quickly picked himself up and went through over forty hand seals before finishing while Kakuzu was zooming towards the ground.

"**Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet!**"

A large water dragon appeared from the water in front of Naruto and launched itself towards the immobilized Kakuzu. Naruto smirked as the dragon rammed head on into the ninja and took him into it's gaping maw, swallowing him whole.

_'I got him!'_

Naruto's elation quickly deflated when the dragon disappeared and left a huffing and dripping wet, but otherwise fine Kakuzu on the ground. Naruto again noticed that all the man's visible skin had turned to a blackened color and was curious by this; Kakuzu explained to him.

"Earth Grudge Fear, it is the name of this technique you see here but it does so much more. It is an Earth technique so I was able to beat your water dragon by hardening my body with Earth chakra, shielding it from your attack." Naruto's eyes widened, this guy had Earth nature too?

_'But I saw him use a Water technique before I entered battle, he has two affinities?'_

"**Dual Element: Intelligent Hard Work!**"

Naruto watched two masks appear over the man's revealed shoulders and both gathered up chakra for something. Not wanting to wait around for the answer, Naruto went through a few hand signs just as Kakuzu released the blast, a water wall appearing in front of him.

Naruto soon realized that the combination wind-fire technique was too much for one element and quickly moved away from behind the wall before it collapsed.

_'How many elements does this guy own?'_

Kakuzu silently chuckled at the bespectacled look on the teen's face, he must have realized that he had more than just a couple elements now.

_'Two can play at this game. He wants a battle of affinities? I'll give him one..'_

Naruto took off in the opposite direction, pumping his legs with chakra to enhance his speed. He ran straight for land, absently taking solace in the fact that Yugito was still in her Two-Tails form fighting the other Akatsuki. He frowned though at seeing her able to do little actual damage to him, she obviously was not prepared to take these men down.

_'Good thing I got their message.'_

"Why are you running? I thought you wanted to kill me?" Kakuzu mocked in his monotone gravely voice.

"Oh I do, just wait a second." Naruto called over his shoulder but stopped when he felt he had gone far enough onto land.

He turned around to face Kakuzu who was charging him, Naruto quickly gathered up chakra in his mouth with the Dog hand sign.

_'__**Lava Release: Lava Bullet!**__'_

Naruto shot out dozens of small globs of lava at a surprised Kakuzu who stopped his charge and back flipped away, observing the new attack.

_'Lava?'_

Using his famed intelligence, Kakuzu searched his knowledge data banks for anyone who could properly use lava release so freely.

_'Two possibilities. Either I am mistaken and this is the Four-Tailed Monkey Jinchuuriki which he most obviously isn't, or this boy..is an Uzumaki. I am 91 years old and I still remember the old days where Uzugakure was an extremely powerful nation out in the Isles of Kiri. Since the Five Year siege over thirty years ago, Uzugakure and the Uzumaki have fallen into despair and entanglement in Kiri's net of influence. Why is there still a pureblood alive, and what the hell is he doing with a tailed beast inside of him?.. Doesn't matter I guess..this boy must have a pretty big bounty. I might have to break the rules, just this once.'_

While Kakuzu wracked his brain with knowledge, Naruto was going through hand seals. He ended with the dog hand sign and stomped his foot onto the ground. The shaking ground awoke Kakuzu and alerted him to something wrong, he was just barely able to dodge the hot lava that took the place of the ground, instead choosing to stand on a piece of rubble.

_'I won't be able to stay on this thing for long, the Lava is melting it.'_

Sorting through his options, Kakuzu went through a few hand signs and lowered his hood so his mouth was uncovered.

"**Water Release: Violent Water Wave!**"

A large amount of water shot out of the Akatsuki's mouth and hit the boiling Lava, slowly cooling it into a solid ash. Naruto scowled and went through more hand signs, intent on keeping the lava field in play for as long as possible.

"**Lava Release: Fire Pillar Landscape Destruction!**"

Naruto sent his nature chakra into the ground and, combining with the natural magma underground, shot the supercharged heat upwards and through the soil. The battlefield was now a death trap for both combatants, even Naruto could not survive such heat from the natural-artificial lava mix.

The lava and fire spirals were now appearing in random spots, somewhat guided by Naruto's will and they would unexpectantly launch out of the ground attempting to hit Kakuzu with the intense heat.

"Not bad kid, you are making this fun." Kakuzu noted, enjoying the challenge he had not felt for a long time.

_'Not since the day I attempted to assassinate the First Hokage have I fought someone with such control over advanced nature chakra, very challenging indeed.'_

"**Shadow Clone Technique!**"

Naruto made 24 clones, all with their broadswords out and ready to fight against the Taki ninja. Kakuzu smirked, the battle was getting to the good part, he completely forgot about Hidan and the Two-Tails.

_'Looks like it's time to get serious.'_

-

_Nagara Dam, Rubble, Ground Level_

Hidan felt the tremors in the ground and quickly glanced in the direction he last saw Kakuzu fighting the intruder. His eyes widened when he saw what looked to be lava shooting out of the ground in the battle zone, often obscuring the scythe user's vision.

_'Looks like Kakuzu's got his hands full over there, wonder who-'_

Hidan couldn't finish his train of thought as he dodged another swipe but was unable to prevent himself from being hit with one of the two tails the cat had. It's fiery qualities led the man to get not only crushed into the ground but burned as well; he once again thanked Jashin for his immortality and promised a hundred more souls put to slaughter in his name.

"Dammit! Why won't you just run out of chakra already you stupid bitch!" The bijuu appeared to become even more angry after this and charged Hidan who was yelling out apologies after that.

"MWAHHH!!" With one last blast, the Two-Tails launched the largest fire ball yet at Hidan forcing him to be blasted away from the sheer size of the shock wave.

Yugito appeared in the fiery center of the beast, the blue fire slowly receding back into her body as she fell victim to exhaustion.

_'Dammit, I haven't even killed one yet! Looks like I'll have to use my normal chakra..'_

Hidan picked himself up off the ground, snapping a few broken or misplaced bones back into place from his jumbled landing. He looked back at the woman and smirked when he saw the beast's chakra had receded, leaving her vulnerable to his attacks.

"Haha! Now it's time to play!" Hidan charged forward, intent on slicing the Jinchuuriki with his three-bladed scythe.

Yugito pulled out a kunai and began to parry and counter against his attacks, just barely avoiding his attacks each time. Hidan was smirking like a mad man, knowing it was only a matter of time before she slipped up and gave him a taste of blood.

"You can't hold out forever _kitty cat_, why don't you just give up!" Yugito was getting pissed, she didn't like to lose, especially to men.

"Fuck you!" She back flipped away and got enough distance before her next jutsu.

"**Lightning Release: Electromagnetic Murder!**"

A large surge of electricity flowed from Yugito's clasped hands and shot towards a surprised Hidan who was just barely able to dodge it.

"Dammit, that would have hurt like a bitch!" Poor Hidan was not given any time to rest though because, as he was in mid air from his side step was hit by by Yugito's arm.

The worst part was that Yugito had enhanced her strength with her Tailed beast chakra, a blue chakra cloak covering her body. Hidan felt his chest collapse and give way to her amazingly powerful attack; he looked down at her to see her smirking face.

"**Lariat!**"

The Akatsuki was sent flying into a piece of rubble and felt the pain intensify further, eliciting a hurt groan from him. Yugito looked at him with her cat-like eyes and relished in the tailed beast's chakra coursing through her.

"Not as strong as Killer Bee or Raikage-sama's but still powerful enough to take you down." Yugito took comfort in his pained groans but looked over shoulder when she heard an especially loud explosion close by.

She silently cursed herself for losing touch with her surroundings so much; she hadn't noticed the other enemies odd absence until now.

_'How can someone else be here? Better yet, who can stand toe to toe with one of these guys other than me?'_

Curious and feeling like her job was done with Hidan, Yugito took off running towards the large battle that was threatening to spill over the artificial dam.

Hidan felt his chest close up and a small scar left to commemorate the wound and he grunted in pain while he pulled himself up. Wiping his lip of the blood that had garnered there, he stalked towards the battle that now occupied his partner and their target.

"Fucking bitch, that actually hurt!"

-

_Nagara Dam, Ground Level_

"**Lava Release: Lava Dragon Bullet!**"

Naruto held a dog hand sign as he ran towards Kakuzu who was in turn holding up a hand sign while he ran towards Naruto with the river/lake behind him.

"**Water Release: Great Waterfall Technique!**"

A large amount of water shifted and sailed into the air from the nearby water source, hanging over Kakuzu's head and impacted the lava dragon head on. While the dragon was cooled, the rock was still there and Naruto timed his attack perfectly.

Kakuzu and Naruto reached punching range and the Akatsuki didn't wait to send a punch straight to Naruto's face, one of which Naruto deftly dodged before he brought up a leg and kicked the man. Kakuzu smirked and held the leg but widened his eyes when a shadow clone flashed to Naruto's left and kicked Kakuzu in the stomach, sending him hurtling back in air.

A piece of cooled lava debris fell in front of Naruto's face and he yelled out his next technique, surprising Kakuzu with the sheer speed and timing of it.

"**Earth Release: Rock Blizzard!**"

Naruto gripped the large piece of debris and threw it in front of himself before shattering it into dozens of smaller sharpened pieces from a single punch. These pieces, instead of falling due to gravity, launched themselves towards the still-in-motion Kakuzu and it appeared as though he would be pierced.

Naruto frowned when his attack failed as he had expected it to; the man had hardened his skin and canceled out Naruto's Earth technique with his own.

_'Damn, what's it take to beat this guy?'_

"I wonder if Hidan is done with the Two-Tails yet, I don't hear any fighting.." Kakuzu absently mumbled loud enough for Naruto to hear as well.

While he didn't take his eyes off his opponent, Naruto was also curious as to how his fellow Jinchuuriki was faring.

"Oh he is _done_ alright." Naruto and Kakuzu looked up to a piece of rubble to see Yugito with her blue chakra cloak still enveloping her, her sharpened canines visible in the smirk she gave Kakuzu.

"So..Hidan was finally beaten? I must say I'm a bit surprised, but I suppose he had to be incapacitated eventually." Kakuzu shrugged his partner's death off, slightly unnerving the other two.

"You don't care that he is dead at all?" Naruto asked, to which Kakuzu answered with a lazy stare at the blond Jinchuuriki and a slow shake of the head.

"I'm only here because of my own ambitions, I could care less about Hidan's well being. Although, Leader won't be pleased when he has to give me another partner, no one has lasted as long as Hidan did. Oh well.."

"Well you won't have to worry about that.." Yugito jumped down to stand next to Naruto, sending chakra to her feet allowing her to remain on the lava. "Since _we _will kill you before that happens."

Naruto was a bit surprised, he didn't expect her to trust him so quickly.

"I am wondering though.." Yugito whispered to Naruto. "Who are you?" Naruto smiled.

"I am Naruto Uzumaki, a Hunter Swordsman from the Village Hidden in the Mist. I also happen to be the Nine Tails Jinchuuriki, I was asked to come here and help you fight off Akatsuki." Yugito gasped at the point where he revealed his Jinchuuriki status and she glared at him.

"What the hell are you doing here? I don't care who asked you to come and help, these men are after the bijuu inside of us. If you are captured..who knows what will happen?" Naruto shook his head, confusing the other blond.

"I know what will happen, and whether you believe it or not, I am just as experienced as you Yugito-san. I am a jounin of my village and I have already killed two Akatsuki on my own, so I can easily keep up with you. Besides, eleven tails are better than two, right?" Yugito stared at Naruto incredulously until she slowly started to smile, she held out her hand in a quick 'friends' shake.

"Well then Naruto Uzumaki, I accept your help. Now let's finish this guy off-" Yugito was interrupted by the unexpected arrival from Hidan who was cursing up a storm.

"Hey bitch! Our battle isn't over yet! Kakuzu, who the hell is this?! Why the hell didn't you kill him and come and help me, you fucking asshole!?" Kakuzu just lazily stared at Hidan before shrugging.

"I figured you were dead, but I see you are still alive. Hmph." Hidan just stared wide eyed and had a gaping mouth directed towards Kakuzu.

"THAT IS ALL YOU HAVE TO SAY AFTER I ALMOST DIE FOR REAL?! You son of a bitch! I hate you, I-"

Naruto and Yugito just watched the exchange with mild interest, Naruto almost wanted to laugh at the two's exchange but decided against it.

"Shut up Hidan! Let's just finish these two and then you can bitch all you want." Hidan just glared at him a little more before folding his arms across his chest in a stand off style; looking away in another direction like a pouting child.

"Fine..but I call dibs on the girly-"

**"You'll have both of us!" **Hidan and Kakuzu turned back to the Jinchuuriki pair and noticed both had a tail and animal ears from their chakra cloaks, Yugito's blue and Naruto's red/orange.

Both had yelled the statement at the same time as they charged the two Akatsuki, intent on ending them with the help of their bijuu's power.

* * *

Done! Part II and finale of the battle will be next, what will happen? What is Danzo and his ROOT cronies plotting? Will Yugito get captured or will Naruto become a true zombie hunter? With Kakuzu's analysis of Naruto's heritage, I also added in a little of my fan-made history of the Uzugakure history, did you catch it? If you did not, be sure to read it again if you are interested!

Find out what happens next time!

Review!


	10. Battle Intensifies, Plot Thickens!

Uzumaki Clan's Rebirth

Chapter 10

Battle Intensifies, Plot Thickens!

**Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO!**

"speaking"

_'thinking'_

"**Jutsu**"

**"Tailed Beast Speak"**

NaruxMei

**BLOODLINE WARNING**: Naruto uses **Lava** and **Boil** Release in this story. He has three elements in total because of his bloodlimit, Fire, Water, and Earth.

-

_Nagara Dam, Ground Level_

**"You die now!"** Naruto growled out as he charged Kakuzu, intent on killing the multi-hearted man.

Kakuzu was intrigued by the jinchuuriki's power but went through a sequence of hand seals and two masks appeared over his shoulders again. Naruto's slitted eyes widened before he was blasted by Kakuzu's wind-fire technique.

"Got you..hehe." Kakuzu bragged but felt something approaching behind him and turned to see a chakra fist grasping for him.

He jumped away but saw another arm come around grab him, easily gripping his entire waist and pulling him towards Naruto. The Kyuubi's container had one arm pulled back and a purple Rasengan had been formed; Kakuzu was speeding straight towards him without any way to avoid it.

**"Take this! Nine Tails Rasengan!"** Naruto put the Rasengan in front of the oncoming fist and watched in satisfaction as it hit Kakuzu's heart and sent him exploding backward straight towards a piece of rubble.

-

"Kakuzu!" Hidan tried to run towards him but was once again stopped by Yugito, a wall of fire blocking his path to his partner.

"Damn, you little bitch!" Hidan charged Yugito but she easily avoided, her speed greatly increased with the Cat's chakra flowing through her.

"**Two Tails Fireball!**" Hidan looked to see her gathering up a mass of chakra in her mouth and began to charge, hoping to get her before she completed it.

"Oh shit!" Hidan was enveloped in blue flames and Yugito smirked in satisfaction.

Her elation sunk when she saw the dust clear and Hidan was trying to futilely put out the blue flames on his coat, his face in panic.

"Damn, damn, damn! If Leader finds out I need another cloak, ah shit!"

_'Why won't he just die?'_

-

"Thought you had me didn't you? That's the first time in a while someone made me lose a heart, I must congratulate you." Naruto was now on the defensive as Kakuzu swung at him with his fists, he was now back on his feet.

**"ROOAAH!" **Naruto grew a second tail and Kakuzu felt a slight stinging sensation on his skin, courtesy from the demon chakra seeping out.

Naruto threw himself at Kakuzu who was barely able to dodge each attack, every one a little more aggressive than the last. Naruto threw a punch and had it caught by Kakuzu, smirking he threw a solidified punch at Naruto's cheek.

He didn't even flinch.

"**Boil Release: Acidic Breathe!**" Naruto coughed out a small mist from his mouth and it hit Kakuzu's revealed face, causing him to scream in agony and move his hands to his face.

With the current advantage, Naruto took out his broadsword and funneled Fire chakra into it, making the sharpened edges glow and flicker with the flames now dancing on them. Swinging it in a wide horizontal arc, Naruto hit Kakuzu's shoulder but was stopped when the almost blinded man grabbed the sword with his bare hands and pushed against it.

"Damn you..jinchuuriki!" Naruto smirked and reared back his available fist, sending Kakuzu sprawling across the ground onto the water.

Chasing after him, the blond made two Rasengans in either hand and charged the kneeling man who was trying to get some air.

"**Double Rasengan!**" Kakuzu smirked.

Naruto felt himself caught and looked to see his ankles had been latched onto by..Kakuzu's hands?! Naruto looked at the Taki ninja and saw half his arms underwater, the spindly cords connecting the hands to the rest of the arm.

"Uh oh. Looks like you fell into my trap." Naruto watched in horror as Kakuzu's masks appeared again, the fire and wind gathering up energy again.

The blast enveloped Naruto, his feet being released only right before the blast hit. Kakuzu scratched the back of his head, watching the newly made steam evaporate into the air after the strong attack.

"Oops, I killed a jinchuuriki. Leader-" Kakuzu was interrupted when he heard something approaching from behind and saw two windmill shuriken approaching him.

"Do you really think that will work?" Kakuzu reached out to catch both but his eyes widened when another shuriken appeared in their shadows.

_'Shadow Shuriken Technique?!'_

"Take this!" Naruto appeared in a burst of smoke and shoved a Rasengan into Kakuzu's stomach, sending him lurching back after the attack.

Quickly going through more hand signs, Naruto charged forward and held two hands up in front of the prone Kakuzu. A water prison appeared around him, preventing him from moving while Naruto still had a free hand.

"A water prison, eh? Interesting.." Kakuzu went silent and Naruto wondered what he was planning.

"You don't have much time to plan, I'm going to drown you!" Naruto went through a small bunch of one handed seals and slammed his hand onto the water.

"**Lava Release: Underwater Magma Trap!**"

Kakuzu's eyes widened when he looked down to see a faint glowing light, it was a small volcano being formed underneath the water! Naruto smirked but turned to see the entire water prison was murky with mud, he could no longer see the prisoner.

Dropping the prison, Naruto backed away and saw the mud form into Kakuzu who was not very happy.

_'I may have lost my Water affinity but I can still take this kid down.'_

"**Fire Release: Grand Fireball!**"

Naruto shot off a fireball only to see the wounded Kakuzu go through the same hand seals, bringing a hand up to his mouth.

"**Fire Release: Grand Fireball!**"

The two Fireballs collided and the two were launched into a vicious tug of war with each other, pushing chakra into their attack.

Naruto broke his attack first and moved to the side, launching a kunai at Kakuzu. The Taki ninja's eyes widened when he recognized the weapon from before.

_'He teleports with that thing, he prefers to hit my right side..so'_

Naruto teleported but was met with a firm kick to the face that sent him sprawling on the water, surprising him.

_'How the hell did he knew I was going to flash at that spot?'_

"You are too easy to read kid, maybe you should work up a strategy before you use that jutsu again." Kakuzu mocked him before releasing one of his masks from his body, it was the Lightning mask that Naruto had not seen for some time.

"**Shadow Clone Technique!**" Naruto created twenty clones and launched them at Kakuzu, engaging him in a one-sided sword battle.

Kakuzu gripped the longsword of the first clone and pulled on it easily with his earth-enhanced strength, punching the clone and making it disappear.

_'Good, buy me some time!'_

The blond launched himself towards the lightning mask, intent on destroying it first. The mask turned to face him and launched a large spike of lightning towards his figure, making him dodge.

A shadow clone appeared behind the large beast and it turned around on the water to squash it, leaving Naruto free to move.

"**Fire Release: Fire Dragon Flame Bomb!**"

A concentrated flow of white hot fire launched from Naruto's mouth, hitting the strangely shaped body of the mask. It screamed silently in agony before Naruto's clone sent a Rasengan right into it's face, destroying the mask for good.

_'Two masks down, three to go.'_

Naruto turned around from the melting black chakra to a punch in the face. Kakuzu towered over him and he had a look of unbridled rage on his face.

_'This little bastard..he's taken TWO of my hearts..I will just have to take his.'_

"I don't know why I never took one your clansmen's hearts back when they were around, but now I have a chance _rectify_ that mistake." Naruto's eyes widened when he heard that and felt himself pinned and sinking underwater, small threads attaching to the armor directly over his heart.

"You can't escape from me, either you drown or you die from being without a heart. I get what I want either way."

Naruto let loose a muffled gasp for air and watched the bubbles float to the surface, the light fading away from him.

He felt a heat beneath him and turned his head to see his volcano still intact, it was his finishing move for this fight.

_'Hey fox! I need some of your chakra so I can get this guy off of me!'_

**"Fine..damn needy humans. You better kill him this time, playing around with our prey is **_**so**_** boring!"**

_'Yeah yeah..'_

Naruto felt Kyuubi's chakra surge through him and he broke the iron hold over one of his arms and started to repeatedly punch Kakuzu's hardened face. He felt his knuckles break and reform over and over again but the Akatsuki would not budge.

_'__**Lava Release: Lava Bullet!**__'_

Naruto shot off a point-blank bullet of lava right into Kakuzu's face, the combination element defeating the Taki ninja's hardened skin. Desperate to try and get the lava off before it cooled, Kakuzu released Naruto again and ended up regretting it.

Now being free to move, Naruto laid a kick over Kakuzu's back and sent him hurtling down towards the active volcano. Seeing that he was being herded towards certain doom, Kakuzu flipped himself over and attempted to swim upwards but was caught by Naruto.

"I want to kill you, remember? You die here and now, go rot in the center of the earth!" Kakuzu could do nothing as he was punched repeatedly in the stomach edging him farther towards the slowly closing volcano.

With a final kick to the stomach, Kakuzu was sent right into the burning lava that was still remaining thanks to Naruto's chakra. Setting foot on the edge of the lava substance, Naruto went through a few hand signs before slamming both hands onto the earth part of the volcano.

_'__**Earth Release: Devouring Earth Subduction!**__'_

Nothing was heard as the volcano silently sunk underneath the ground; closing like a venus fly trap around the burning Kakuzu. Naruto returned to the shore for much needed air and to escape the underwater prison.

Upon reaching the mangled ruins of the battlefield, Naruto collapsed onto the ground and felt himself blacking out. The last thing he remembered seeing was a flash of gold and nothingness.

-

"Sir, I think the Swordsman is out cold." The Kinkaku squad had moved to assist when Naruto had been dragged underwater but now found themselves tending to a victorious blond.

"Is he injured?" Tamura asked, the medic shook his head.

"Nothing that won't heal on it's own, but we shou-" The man was cut off by a large explosion and the bounty hunters turned to see Yugito get shot straight through a piece of rubble. She landed amongst a pile of rocks and did not get up.

Hidan stalked towards her with a giant smirk on his face, the scythe hanging limply over his shoulder as he walked towards her.

"Did you really think you could win? I bet Kakuzu has already gotten the other one and is just waiting for me to finish up. Fucking asshole." Yugito tried to stand but felt all her strength leave her, she had nothing left to fight the enemy with.

_'Dammit..I'm sorry Kumo.'_

Just as she was about to accept her fate and capture at the hands of Akatsuki, over fifteen Kinkaku hunters body flickered around her, their katana held in a defensive posture.

_'Kinkaku? What the hell are they..wait, they must be the chakra signatures Nibi felt before the attack started.'_

"Akatsuki! You will not take a single step further, you have attacked one of our ninja and you will pay for that crime with death!" Hidan grew a tick on his forehead.

"I HATE PEOPLE THAT MAKE STUPID FUCKING BATTLE CRIES LIKE THAT!" Yugito tried to wave them off, to run away, but she was too weak.

Tamura looked over his shoulder and shook his head towards the young woman who was struggling to maintain consciousness.

"It's alright Yugito-sama, we have everything under control. We will keep both you and Naruto safe, I promise."

Yugito's eyes widened a bit at the thought of Naruto and wondered if he was alright. Yugito's half-lidded eyes wandered until they landed on an unconscious Naruto on the ground nearby; a small smile graced her lips. She settled into an unconscious state herself soon after, relieved from her responsibilities and giving Tamura reign.

_'thank kami..'_

Tamura, without taking his eyes off the smirking Hidan gave a few hand signals pointing out Yugito and Naruto. Two of his Kinkaku squad members stiffened a bit and disappeared into blurs, the unconscious forms of Yugito and Naruto had gone missing as well.

Hidan scowled, them running was going to make his job a lot harder.

"Oi! Kakuzu go kill those guys and get the damn jinchuuriki!...Kakuzu?" Tamura smirked behind his mask.

"Your friend is dead, he was killed by the other jinchuuriki. It's just you, us and a _whole_ lot of ground to cover until you reach Kumo. We won't allow you to make it very far of course.." Hidan's eyes widened, Kakuzu was dead?

_'Son of a bitch, bastard would leave me all the work in the end. Probably laughing in his fucking grave, fucking asshole.'_

"What makes you so sure you can kill me when your precious jinchuuriki couldn't?" Tamura frowned, there had to be some way to kill him right?

"Let's find out, shall we?" Tamura and his men launched themselves at the cloaked man.

-

_Kumo Mountain Range, 2 miles from Nagara Dam_

"How far do you think we should go with these two?" One of the masked hunters asked his partner, adjusting the human package he held behind his back; his partner shrugged.

"I doubt the captain would want us to just stop moving with them, we will rendezvous in Kumo."

Naruto and Yugito were still unconscious, their arms limply hanging off the ninja's shoulders. The battle had been very exhausting for both of them, fighting off Akatsuki was no easy feat.

-

_Kirigakure, Mizukage Suite_

Mei sat in her office, finishing up her paperwork for the day. She neatly stacked her papers in the proper tray and got up from her chair, opting to look out across the village as she enjoyed to do. Her thoughts drifted from her everyday stress and problems back to her fiance, Naruto.

_'Naruto..are you alright? Have you won?'_

To lose Naruto would be a stab to the heart for Mei and she truly hated sending him out of the village, she would rather tie him up and leave him at home everyday she left.

_'He is a ninja of Kiri now, I can't coddle him. He is powerful as well, probably stronger than I am and yet I..still worry.'_

Of course it was perfectly natural for her to worry given her love and care for him but it took it's toll on her everyday he was gone.

Mei turned around and went over to her desk to get something. She took out a scroll that she had been writing in every once in a while. It was an 'idea' list for where to have the wedding, she had planned to discuss it with Naruto after she had all the ideas she could think of.

_Locations for the Wedding_

_Kiri Overlook, hill above Kirigakure_

_Terumi-Uzumaki Estate_

_Uzugakure Ruins_

She wrote in the last one after much thought and indecision. Naruto and Mei had yet to visit their homeland since his arrival, too busy with their duties as ninja to find time. It would be the perfect place actually, Mei mused; Uzumaki being married in Uzugakure. Mei was already thinking of the traditions and customs that they could partake in as true-blood Uzumaki, the marriage ceremonies were marvelous with an old time feel to them. She could already see Naruto and herself in traditional Uzu clothing walking across the Whirlpool vortexes on the eastern coast of Whirlpool; she sighed in happiness.

"Erm..Mizukage-sama?" Mei gasped, looking at the door to see Ao with his chosen squad members standing there with curious faces. She had commissioned him for a mission outside the village and lost track of the briefing time.

"Sorry Ao, just reminiscing about my wedding. Shall we begin?" Ao smiled at that. To see the Mizukage happy would bring a smile to any person's face.

"Yes Ma'am!"

-

_Nagara Dam_

"Ha! Is that all you've got?" Hidan was swinging his scythe at any Kinkaku shinobi that would get too close, a murderous smirk on his face. The two sides had been fighting for the past half hour and no end was in sight, but Hidan had easily wounded over half of them.

"HIAH! HAHAHA!" One unlucky ninja was unable to parry all three blades and was sliced in half by Hidan who laughed at the dead man's expense. Tamura gritted his teeth and prepared his signature jutsu, tired of this Akatsuki.

"**Lightning Release: Bolter Shot!**"

Hidan's eyebrow quirked at the technique and could only watch in fascination as Tamura pointed his finger at him and squinted his eyes. The white-haired man felt pain in his chest area and looked to see a relatively small hole right over his heart, the lightning shot going straight through the organ. Tamura's eyes widened when, instead of falling over dead, Hidan _ poked_ his finger through the hole and laughed a crazed chuckle.

"HAHAHAHA! That tickled, the pain felt so perfect!" Tamura and his men were shocked, what the hell was this guy?

"Charge him again! Hit him from all sides." The shinobi let out a battle cry and charged the smirking Hidan.

Tamura launched his katana at Hidan's weapon arm, hoping to at least distract him. Hidan countered the captain's attack with his scythe while he used his other arm to grab his metallic spike and blocked another katana. One of Tamura's subordinates launched his attack on Hidan's vulnerable front side but was beaten down with a perfectly timed kick to the chin, sending him down for the count.

"HYAH!" Two golden masks surged their katana with lightning energy and sent them straight through Hidan's abdomen. They looked up to see Hidan looking at them with an annoyed scowl and a fake yawn as if their attack was nothing.

"Ow! That kind of hurt you little bastards!" Hidan flexed his arm muscles and Tamura tensed up.

"Jump away, now!" Not a second too soon, the four ninja jumped away before Hidan freed himself and sliced the air in front of him.

Sighing, Tamura relaxed his muscles and took up a leisure concentrated stance in front of the Akatsuki, his breathing leveling out and chakra coursing across his skin.

_'Raikage-sama, please forgive me. **Lightning Release: Lightning Armor Release!**'_

A thick screen of electricity sparked and took shape over Tamura's body, surprising his men and earning the intrigue of the scythe man.

"Oh, what's thi-" Hidan was unable to finish when Tamura disappeared and reappeared right in front of him, elbowing him_ hard_ in the stomach.

The attack sent him flying and brought him crashing into a piece of rubble, but this did not stop the Kinkaku's onslaught. Each punch and kick brought the force of a thousand more with the lightning enhancement, quickly bringing Hidan's curiosity to an annoyed anger.

"Ah! Get off of me!" Tamura was straddling Hidan, laying punch after punch into his face with no real effect. Hidan was finally able to hook his leg under Tamura and with a strained grunt pushed him off and swung his scythe, cutting right through the Kumo nin's armor and making it look like confetti.

"Ah!" The captain fell into a heap against a pile of rubble, clutching his bleeding chest and watched his executioner walk towards him.

"I'm gonna make this slow.." Hidan brought up his scythe with two hands and was about to bring it down when one of the Kinkaku shinobi jumped on his back and pierced his neck with a kunai.

Hidan started to gurgle on his own blood but fought to shake off the man who was grasping onto what was left of his cloak. Another Kumo nin rammed into Hidan's stomach and tried to make the bigger man fall onto his back, but Hidan held strong and began to beat the man's back with his fist. The final squad member rushed in and elbowed Hidan right in the face, bringing the Akatsuki down with a heap onto the ground; the man on his back rolled away to safety.

Tamura was now up with his katana in his hands, now holding _ his_ weapon in an executioner fashion above his head with both hands. Hidan looked up at him with a look that no one had seen him make in a long time, absolute fear.

"Why won't you just..DIE!" With every ounce of strength he had left, Tamura brought his weapon down onto the man's neck and severed Hidan's head from his body, bringing an end to the fight. Huffing from sheer exhaustion, he moved to see to his men but stopped when he heard a growl from behind him.

Slowly turning around, his eyes threatened to leave his head when he saw Hidan's head still talking and glaring at him.

"Oi! You bring my body over here right now and put me back together SO I CAN KICK YOUR FUCKING ASS!" Pure anger and adrenaline the only thing fueling his body, Tamura ran towards Hidan's terrified head and _punted_ it right into the lake.

Tamura looked over the edge of the water and watched the head sink down into the murky liquid, the thought would surely haunt him for some time after. He dusted off imaginary dirt on his gloved hands and gave a tired smirk to his men.

"Well..all in a day's work boys." And with that, the Kinkaku captain rightfully collapsed, brought down by the fight that had defeated the jinchuuriki as well. He fell into sleep content with the knowledge that they had won and Akatsuki had lost.

-

_2 Days Later, Kumogakure, Hospital_

Naruto opened his eyes to see white, just white. At first panicking because he thought he was dead, he decided to look left and found a sleeping Yugito in a hospital bed of her own. Naruto reasoned that they had been taken to a relatively large city in Lightning country and patched up, but where exactly they were and what the situation with Akatsuki were the big questions on his mind.

Stretching his muscles, he felt that he had the strength to get up and slowly pulled himself out of bed. He wobbled slightly and noticed his clothing was neatly folded on a nearby chair but started to chuckle when he saw a small trench where someone dragged his sword across the floor; it was leaning against the wall next to his clothes.

_'Hehe..too bad for the floor.'_

Quickly pulling on his clothing and weapons, Naruto prepared to head out of the room and head for Kiri but was stopped by a hand gripping his arm. He turned his head to see a pleading Yugito in her _revealing_ hospital gown, she tightened her grip on his sleeve obviously not wanting to leave so soon.

"I never got the chance to thank you. You didn't think you were going to get away so easily now did you?" Yugito said smirking and Naruto chuckled, scratching the back of his head nervously.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to leave so suddenly like this but I need to head back home. I've already taken too much of Kumo's care and time, I don't want to impose.." Yugito scoffed at that, Kumo would regard him as a hero not as a weakling.

"Nonsense, there is nothing wrong with you being here. And why do you have to leave so soon?" Naruto glanced at her and saw what she was obviously hinting at with her half-lidded eyes and slight shake of her hips.

He chuckled nervously again with a blush, hoping to not get beaten for this by her _or_ Mei.

"Well..you see.." Naruto pushed his pointer fingers together nervously "I'm engaged." Yugito's eyes widened. Engaged?!

"Wha..?" Naruto just nodded dumbly. If he had never met Mei and instead come to Kumo, maybe he would have been with Yugito instead.

_'No one can replace my Whirlpool goddess, not even Yugito.'_

"Well..putting that aside." Yugito tried to move away from the subject, obviously disappointed that Naruto was taken. "I've been wracking my brain for a way to thank you for rescuing me and I came up with a great idea!" Naruto was interested in this, what could it be?

"Yes, what is it Yugito-san?" Naruto asked after her drawn out pause; Yugito smiled.

"Training! I'm sure I can show you a few non-Kumo techniques and even a few skills that can only be used by us jinchuuriki!" Naruto's mouth was open in surprise, she would be willing to teach him?

"I can't..I mean.." Yugito just quieted him with a finger over his mouth, she even giggled when he began to blush.

'Such a shame he's taken, I would've loved to get a date. I mean, you can see the muscles bulging out of his armor they're so big! Meow!'

"Let me just get dressed and we can get started, it shouldn't take too long." Naruto was still in a daze and Yugito smirked, already starting to rid herself of the uncomfortable gown.

"Naruto?" The teen turned to her and she giggled. "Do you plan on staying in the room and _watching_ me take off my clothes?" Naruto's mouth was agape in surprise before he started to stutter out apologies while he ushered himself out of the room.

"Yes, very cute indeed."

-

_Kirigakure,_ _One Week Later_

Naruto flashed to the front door of the Terumi-Uzumaki estate, feeling tired after a week's worth of training in Kumo. While he enjoyed his stay in the city hidden in the clouds, he wanted to return home every second he was there.

Naruto crept into the house, silently waving off to the ceremonial ANBU guards at the door who nodded in response. It was in the late evening and if Naruto knew Mei, she was taking her nightly shower right now. Moving slowly up the stairs and giddy with anticipation of his beautiful fiancee's body, Naruto was just barely able to walk right.

Seeing the lights on in the bathroom, Naruto moved to his old room and stowed away his armor and weapons leaving him only in his underclothes. He opened the door and felt himself assaulted with the humid mist generated from the steamy shower, Mei's shampoo and natural fragrance surrounded him as he took off his clothes.

Mei was humming a small tune her mom had taught her when she was young, an old Uzumaki folk song for peace and rejoice. She often enjoyed singing or humming tunes when she was alone or stressed, it helped her keep calm. She needed it especially now, Naruto had not returned and it had been almost two weeks. Even though she received a message from Kumo a few days ago detailing that Naruto was safe and victorious, Mei was still not very pleased with not having her future husband home.

She ceased moving her hands through her ankle-length hair when she felt strong arms wrap around her, jolting her senses. She cursed herself for not noticing the person's presence before but calmed immediately when she heard Naruto's voice speak softly to her ear.

"I'm home, Mei-hime." She smiled, overjoyed that he came back to her unharmed.

Mei turned around in his arms and kissed him passionately, not wanting to let go of the blond. Naruto responded in kind and kissed back with equal ferocity, he had missed his princess while he was away for so long. Breaking the kiss, they looked into each others eyes and knew words were not needed to express the happiness of their reunion.

"Naruto-koi..I'm so happy you're back!" Naruto nodded and tightened his hold on her smaller frame. Mei smirked when she felt Naruto's hand move to her rear and when he began to nibble on her neck she started to giggle.

"Someone missed me..mmm." Mei allowed herself to be pushed against the shower wall and craned her neck so as to reveal more of her skin that Naruto seemed to have an appetite for.

Trailing his love bites farther down her body, Naruto reached her breasts and began to nibble and suck on her nipples, enjoying the sound of her moans of pleasure. He would switch off between either breast every other few minutes, Mei's hand gently pushing him from the back of his head, nursing him as if he was her child.

"_Oh god Naruto..you are so_ good at this!" Naruto smirked and began to move lower, licking and kissing her firm stomach and belly button; it sent shivers up Mei's spine.

Her breathe hitched in anticipation as Naruto reached her small tuft of russet red hair near her lower regions, kissing it and moving to the lips. She pouted in disappointment when he purposely avoided her lips and moved instead to her supple thighs, kissing them and staying away from the real prize.

Mei couldn't take it any longer and using her strength pushed Naruto right to her spot, lightning coursing through her.

"Please..Naruto. I can't take..much more." Naruto smirked again before assaulting Mei's core with his tongue, launching a devastating attack that made her writhe in agonizing pleasure.

He continued pleasuring her for some time, eventually adding a finger inside of her as well much to her surprise and delight. He began to lick at her liquids that were pouring out now, wanting more of it. Mei was in heaven, Naruto hadn't even penetrated her yet and she was already about to come, they had only started ten minutes ago!

"AH! Naruto! Naruto! NARUTO!" Mei released the burning desire that had built up within her for so long, drenching Naruto with her juices to which he happily drank.

After cleaning her up, Naruto stood back up from his knees and kissed her passionately. Mei tasted herself from his tongue and moaned in ecstasy. He lifted up one of her legs by the thigh and positioned himself right in front of her entrance. He looked into her emerald eyes for permission and saw her granting, almost begging for him to begin to which he did in earnest.

Naruto rammed himself into her, working into a rhythm with her movements as well. Being inside of her was the epitome of perfect for Naruto, there could be no better vice. Too soon her moans intensified and Naruto felt Mei tighten herself around him, almost ready to come.

"Naruto..baby..I'm gonna..gonna come!" Naruto smiled and kissed Mei's supple lips making them both moan as she came with him following not far afterwards, her tightening too much for him to bear.

The lovers just stayed in the middle of the shower holding each other for some time before they got out and dressed themselves for bed. Upon arriving in the bedroom, Naruto led Mei to sit on the bed and held both of her hands, causing her to become curious as to what he was doing.

"Naruto-koi?" Naruto smiled, trying to reassure her there was nothing wrong.

"Mei-hime, we haven't had much time to spend together lately, have we?" Mei frowned, slowly shaking her head negatively. The two had little time for each other with their duties, it was a source of much unhappiness for both.

"_I want tomorrow to be just about us_, alright Mei? How about you and I just go out and be together all day, not worrying about our duties for once." Mei looked at him with surprise and thoughtfulness, not expecting this from Naruto.

"Well a Mizukage taking off would look horrible on the record.." Naruto frowned while Mei started to smile. "But I think I can make an exception for my fiance for one day. It's a date." Naruto looked at her with a happy smile and kissed her softly, glad she agreed.

They laid themselves down on the bed and snuggled up with one another, happy that they were now back in each others arms and that they would finally have some time for each other.

-

_Amegakure_

"Pain, we have received word that Hidan and Kakuzu have failed. The Two-Tails remains as did the One-Tail." A blue haired woman alerted a bright orange haired man that stood looking out across an industrialized city.

The pierced man sighed and looked back at the equally pierced woman, little emotion other than stoic annoyance could be found from his features.

"This unknown enemy hunting us is a formidable one indeed. However" Pain turned around to look at the city again. "It is strange that someone would risk their lives in such a manner to save jinchuuriki who are known to be total social outcasts for what they carry in them. So it leaves only one possibility as to the culprit." Konan's eyes widened for only a second in recognition.

"You mean.." Pain turned to her and stared into her amber eyes with his ringed purple ones.

"Yes, a fellow jinchuuriki is hunting us and I would like to find out which one so I can stop him_.. myself_ if need be." Konan's eyes widened again, _he _would take care of the enemy?

"I will alert Zetzu immediately Pain."

-

_Unnamed Kiri Isle_

Hyo stood with his small squad of fellow ROOT members, they had made a base camp on of the smaller islands off the coast of Kiri for their mission. He reviewed the plan one more time in his head, having already destroyed the mission scroll given to him by Sai.

_'Naruto Uzumaki, we will stop your little vacation to Kiri. You insolent little whelp actually thinking you could just leave Konoha, the Nine-Tails belongs to us.'_

-

Done! This chapter was difficult to write I guess but I especially enjoyed the take down of Hidan it was my favorite part!

Review!


	11. Date, Plans and a Trap is Set!

Uzumaki Clan's Rebirth

Chapter 11

Date, Plans and a Trap is Set!

**Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO!**

"speaking"

_'thinking'_

"**Jutsu**"

**"Tailed Beast Speak"**

NaruxMei

**BLOODLINE WARNING**: Naruto uses **Lava** and **Boil** Release in this story. He has three elements in total because of his bloodlimit, Fire, Water, and Earth.

**HISTORY ALERT: **This chapter is going to pull back some of the curtain or lift some of the shroud around the fictional Uzumaki history I have created. I have done my best to keep everything within a generally believable time frame but I apologize if you find a mistake in something, I think you will enjoy it though.

-

_Terumi-Uzumaki Estate_

Naruto opened his eyes, the window bringing the early morning sun rays right into his retina forcing him to bury himself in his pillows. In this case, Naruto happened to snuggle further into Mei's large breasts, who was still asleep; she moaned in appreciation and quietly moaned his name. Smiling, Naruto kissed up her chest and landed on her lips to which he kissed all around them until finally launching his tongue into her open mouth.

_'I'm being especially daring this morning, I suppose I'm still excited about our date today..'_

Mei opened her eyes and awoke to Naruto jamming his tongue down her throat, it surprised _and_ enticed her. Sending her tongue after his, her arms wrapped around his neck and they shared a passionate morning kiss. Breaking it, the two looked into each others eyes; both were practically sparkling.

"Good morning, Naruto-koi." She smiled at him to which he returned with one of his own.

"Morning Mei. Are you ready for our date today?" She nodded, excited about the plan for today.

_'I think I'll get him to discuss our wedding and..other things today.'_ She thought with a blush.

"We better get ready, we can't stay in bed all day can we?" Naruto suggested to which Mei moaned, hugging her blond pillow tightly around his waist.

"Aw. But can't we stay in bed a little longer Naruto?" Naruto just smiled and shook his head, doing his best to ignore the fake tears and puppy dog eyes she was giving him.

"I'm afraid not Mei, there is a lot to do today!" Mei sighed and slowly released him from her embrace, climbing out of bed completely naked.

She smirked as Naruto ogled her while she put on her underwear, purposely putting them on _slowly_ for him.

"You are such a pervert Naruto." She told him with her hands on her hips, trying her best to look angry when she really wasn't. His perverted qualities served to _excite_ Mei much more than they annoyed her.

"Hey, when you have a beautiful fiancee, these things tend to happen." Naruto said, shrugging his shoulders with an innocent look; Mei giggled.

"Well I have a _handsome_ fiance but I don't..ogle.." Mei fully turned around from dressing herself to see Naruto was still naked, his piece was erect after watching her put on her clothing; Naruto smirked.

"You don't _what_ Mei? I didn't quite catch that.." Shaking her head to escape from fantasies, Mei just scoffed and turned to walk out of the room.

"Get dressed Mr, we have a date and _much_ to discuss." The way she emphasized 'much' made him very interested in what she wanted to speak about so he quickly pulled on his black undershirt and pants before deciding to go with the simple Kiri jounin vest.

It was a dark Grey vest that had two large breast pockets either side, small shoulder plates jutted out from where his shoulders were. The collar on the vest was also very high and Naruto always complained that it made him uncomfortable but the quartermaster would hear none of it.

_' "It'll protect you from decapitation kid! I probably saved your life by giving you this vest..' blah blah. If a ninja is strong enough, he shouldn't get into the position where he could be decapitated.'_

He adjusted his forehead protector, checking it in the mirror and making sure it fit snugly on his forehead. The final piece were two black, fingerless gloves with metal protectors on the back. Mei always told him for a guy he spent way too much time on appearance, but Naruto always enjoyed getting dressed into his ninja gear; it made him feel..legit.

"Naruto! Do you need me to help me with your makeup, I think I would be better suited for it.." Naruto groaned at Mei's mocking, he wouldn't hear the end of it if the guards told anyone about this.

"It's called 'being mature' Mei, maybe you should try it some time!" It got eerily quiet after that and Naruto was a little afraid to leave the room.

Moving over to the sliding door, he cautiously opened the door a bit to peek out and saw no one in front of the door. Sighing in relief, Naruto opened the door and turned left only to be stopped by an irate Mei; she was tapping her foot on the floor angrily.

"Um..Mei-hi..me?" His answer was a fist to the face, an Uzumaki was all for fun and pranks but their stubbornness and anger were very infamous too.

Mei towered his over his unconscious body with a big smirk; she began to drag him by his feet downstairs to the living room.

"The Uzumaki may have been a patriarchal clan, but the Uzumaki women were always known for keeping their men in check. Poor Naru-koi, he's the head of the clan and yet he gets dominated by his fiancee, hee hee."

-

_Kirigakure_

Naruto and Mei walked out of the estate with looped arms, their hands interlocked with one another. Naruto was sweating bullets after the tense morning encounter and Mei just had a big happy smile on her face..a little too happy.

Walking through town to their chosen destination, Naruto and Mei made small talk about the nature and history of Kiri itself, Mei was always happy to give detail on it's past with the blond.

Upon arriving at the village's park, the couple moved off to the grassy field and away from the more populated areas of the park. It was another sunny day in Kiri and they wanted to soak up the warm rays, they also didn't want anyone to disturb them while they were together.

Naruto pulled out the clothe he had been carrying in his pocket and laid it out on the ground, they had decided to have a nice picnic today and just talk. Mei sat down on the clothe and took off the bag she was carrying on her shoulder, she had opted to _attempt_ to fix their food today.

Naruto had reluctantly agreed after she had set her mind to becoming the best house wife for him, he really didn't mind all the cooking he had to do but she insisted.

Taking out her own meal first, Mei observed the simple meal of fish and rice; the fish itself being another of the rare species found near Uzu country. Naruto's mouth was watering now, he couldn't wait to see what Mei tried to make him.

"Um..here Naruto!" She quickly thrust out his meal with her head bowed low, anxious and embarrassed at what his reaction to her cooking attempt would be.

Naruto looked at the meal and smiled, it was ramen! No one, not even Mei could make 'bad' ramen in Naruto's book so he took the noodles with his favorite pork meat and had a cautious bite. Mei looked on with wide eyes as he had moved the noodles and meat to his mouth, anxious for his reaction.

"So..how is it Naruto-koi?" Naruto chomped on the noodles and savored the flavor before swallowing, putting down his dish and looking at Mei with a serious face; she seemed to shrink under his gaze.

"It was..good! You are definitely getting better Mei, I can't wait to have more of your home cooking!" Mei just got teary eyed and looked down at the ground, Naruto was afraid he had said something wrong.

He reached out with his arm but was literally blown back when Mei suddenly shot back up and pumped her fist into the air in victory.

"YES! I'm doing better! One day I'll get to cook for Naruto-koi and our children, WOOHOO!" Naruto outright blushed at the sound of children but Mei seemed totally oblivious.

After she had calmed down and they resumed eating, Naruto decided to raise the discussion on the future of their relationship.

"Hey Mei, you mentioned kids a little while ago. Have you already decided that you want children..with me?" Mei looked at him incredulously, as if she couldn't believe he didn't think that already.

"Of course I'm going to end up having your children Naruto-koi. I know you want to bring back our clan and both of us being pure-bloods means that our children will be guaranteed to carry the Uzumaki kekkei genkai. I am prepared and know my place as your wife and future matriarch of the clan." Naruto frowned, he didn't expect her to think of the pregnancy as all business; sure he wanted to bring the Uzumaki back but only if Mei herself wanted to as well. He would never force her to have children with him, he just couldn't.

He grabbed a hold of both of her hands and saw her look at him curiously.

"Mei..I don't want you to think that us having children is just to 'carry on the line' or anything, I want to bring the clan back but I also want to be able to love and care for my children along with my wife..you. You don't..seriously think that's the only reason to have children, right?" Mei looked surprised for a moment but then smiled, squeezing his hands with her own slender ones.

"Of course Naruto, I just wanted to let you know that I am prepared to have many children with you. I'm not even doing it for the clan really..I'm doing it because I love you and I..I want to have your children. I've wanted kids for quite some time now, I never thought for a second though that I would meet you and we would bring the clan back together. I love you and I will love our children with equal passion, there is nothing more that I want than to be a mother married to you with our little Uzumaki running through the house; it would be like a dream come true." Naruto had tears in his eyes after hearing that, he had no idea she wanted to have children so bad..she wanted _his_ children.

He brought her into a tight embrace she was quite happy to receive, returning it back to him.

"Mei..I'm so happy that I have found you! I love you so much." She gently stroked his hair as he cried into her shoulder, glad they were able to talk about their future together.

"I love you too, Naruto-koi." After calming down from their emotional embrace, the two decided to lie down on their backs and watch the clouds.

"So Naruto, where would you like to have our wedding?" Mei turned to face him as he looked at her, their hands intertwined as they lay there. Naruto looked like he was thinking but then he just started smiling.

"It doesn't matter where we get married Mei, just as long as you're happy." Mei smiled, it was the answer she had expected from Naruto.

"I was deciding that we could maybe..go to Uzugakure?" Naruto's eyes widened, Uzugakure?

"Why go there, Mei-hime?" She sighed.

"Why not, Naru-koi? We are Uzumaki and we should marry in Uzugakure don't you think? We could follow all the old traditions and customs, we can wear our Uzu uniforms, walk the whirlpool fields, or even take a dive to see the reefs off the coast. Uzugakure is such a wonderful place Naru-koi."

"The way you describe it, I just want to go and live there!" Naruto joked while in reality he really did want to live there.

"I agree, maybe someday we can." They looked at each other, just smiling at their dreams of grandeur.

"Mei..can you tell me about the history of Uzu? I know you've told me some already but you really have left out most of the recent events.." Mei looked a bit downtrodden before perking up for Naruto's sake, he deserved know the history.

"Alright Naruto, where would you like me to begin?" Naruto thought about it for a second.

"How about the time when my mother was born, around..30, 35 years ago?" Mei looked up at the sky, trying to bring up her limited knowledge on the Uzumaki past.

"Well..thirty five years ago, tensions between Kiri and Uzu spilled over into a war between the two nations. The boundary disputes and the lack of cohesion between the bordering countries led them to have great anger towards one another. Really, the Uzumaki were so..different from the mainland that we really did need our own island country, we were our own culture but Kiri would not listen to reason." Naruto frowned, wondering if Uzu was really worth a war between the two countries.

"While Kiri had numbers on their side, no one in their right mind underestimated our clan with the Kekkei Genkai. The Uzumaki were a small clan of pure-bloods surrounded by dozens of branch families that filled our population and were the real working class. The relationship between the branches and the head family were..strained at best. At times, all the branch could be considered were 'glorified' slaves, used only to work and serve the head family and in desperation..reproduction. When the Uzumaki went to war, so did the branch families." Naruto continued to listen enraptured by the history.

"Wait Mei, if the branch weren't true Uzumaki, that meant they didn't have the bloodline, right?" Mei nodded. "But how were they able to help us win if they didn't have a bloodline to help them?"

"Well Naruto, we both know that bloodlines only enhance ninja, they do not _make_ the shinobi. While it is true the branches rarely had anyone with the bloodline, they were skilled shinobi and weapon users. Their primary weapons were a bit old fashioned for the current times, often consisting of long spears and shields or even short swords. The Uzumaki went to war with our usual pride and confidence, some even boasting that 'Kiri would fall within three days, just in time for Hurricane season'..thinking back, they were fools. It was the one time that Uzumaki pride got in the way of our better judgment, but that quality wasn't our downfall, stubbornness was."

"Stubbornness?" Naruto questioned to which Mei just nodded.

"Yes Naruto, the war at first went well for the Uzumaki. Kiri was first met on our home turf, they had been preparing an invasion fleet with not only shinobi but the Daimyo's soldiers as well. We met them on eastern coast of Uzu country, the whirlpools were always harsh to sea vessels, even the Uzumaki but we always knew just the right way to ride the storm; Kiri..was not so lucky. Their ships appeared to sail through clear skies and safe seas the entire voyage while in reality the entire fleet was under an illusion by some of our best genjutsu masters. By the time they realized that they were in a trap, half their fleet had been sunk and the rest was under attack by the Uzumaki, _they never stood a chance_. For all intents and purposes, the war should have been over right there but then.._he came_." Naruto was on the edge of his seat now, who was _he_?

"Who..who came Mei?" She shook in silent anger for a few moments before whispering his name.

"_Madara Uchiha."_

Naruto was shocked, Madara Uchiha was the one who stopped the Uzumaki?

"What, but how? Why?" Mei calmed herself and took a deep breathe.

"Soon after the war started, Madara had apparently entered Kiri after drifting throughout the world after being rejected from his clan during the time of the First Hokage. Upon arriving in Water country, he took advantage of the fact that Kiri had prepared for war and left the capital defenseless, gathering a few loyal followers, he launched an attack and killed the Second Mizukage. After the coup, he proclaimed himself the Third Mizukage and immediately led what was left of the army and hit the Uzumaki vanguard." She slammed her fist together to give off the effect of the two armies attacking one another, Naruto could only imagine the battle in his mind.

"Our clan leader dueled Madara in close combat, Kekkei Genkai vs Kekkei Genkai. In the end, our leader was struck down but it was not enough to demoralize Uzumaki; you can take down our commander, but all we'll do is get angry and that makes us _stubborn_. The battle continued until that _bastard_ tried his newest dojutsu ability, the ability to transport people or objects to another time and space." Naruto saw where she was heading with this, the thought alone scared him.

"He..teleported the entire army?" Mei just nodded solemnly.

"Yes..I don't know how he did it or if that really is how he did it, but what happened is in history. Madara Uchiha defeated the vanguard and laid siege to Uzugakure for five years."

"Five years?" Naruto was amazed by the amount.

"Yes, that is where are stubbornness led to our downfall. In reality, we really had no other choice; Madara did not offer an armistice or chance to surrender, we had to fight. The siege brought about the creation of what could very well be the most powerful jutsu ever created by the Uzumaki clan, the ability or knowledge of how to create it has been lost over the years since."

_'The greatest jutsu..ever?'_

"What, what was it called?" Mei smiled a bit, pride of their clan getting the better of her.

"**Great Uzumaki Vortex**, it is sometimes referred to as the 'Great Funnel Cloud' or the 'Landlocked Whirlpool'. It is described as a _giant_ vortex or tornado that envelops an area of land. This technique was erected around the _entire_ island of Uzu and stretched high into the sky, higher than any ninja could ever hope to reach. We are unsure of the exact use of the jutsu other than the strong wind that it is presumed to be made of, it was surely a difficult obstacle to get around from the Kiri perspective. The jutsu was extremely tiring for those using it however, and I believe it was rumored that the entire Uzumaki clan save the branch families had to work together to maintain it. How they were able to do it is unknown but the siege was a bloody affair for both sides. Eventually though, the Uzumaki could no longer hold off the innumerable Kiri forces and they were defeated." They both frowned at that, even though it had already happened they were still sad to hear it.

"We were forced to make reparations that we could never truly pay _or_..become part of Kiri. Our surviving clansmen were faced with the unthinkable, give up our independence officially or become the economic slaves of the prosperous Kiri. Either way.."

"We lose." Naruto finished for her, his fist shaking in anger.

"That we did, our elders eventually settled for becoming part of Kiri. That was the end of Uzugakure as an independent country and the end of the Uzumaki clan. Enticed by both the weakness of the head clan and the past atrocities committed by the Uzumaki, the branches left immediately for a better life that was being offered in Kiri. The Uzumaki did their best to remain on their home soil but eventually everyone realized it was a lost cause and our clan fragmented, drifting apart into what it is now."

"Your mother went to Konoha as a bright young teenager I suppose, she must have been one of the last to leave the home country pending her age. I on the other hand was taken by my father, who was from the head family and we left with mother's branch who came to Kiri. Since that day, we rarely spoke of the past that I have little memory of and called ourselves Terumi, my mother's branch name. I was blessed and cursed when I was given the gene for our bloodline, but now that I have met you, I know that it truly was the best blessing I could have received." Naruto smiled and leaned in to kiss Mei who happily met him half way.

The Uzumaki clan may no longer be, but these two were definitely prepared to bring it back.

-

_Kirigakure, Streets_

The couple walked along with each other towards the estate, the day coming near to a close. The passersby would look and clap for the two, the relationship was known everywhere because of either shinobi's status. A more daring girls would whistle for Naruto and Mei looked about ready to launch a lava bullet in each of their faces.

"Now now, Mei-hime. They don't mean-" Mei interrupted him, a twisted smile on her face.

"Naruto..shut up before I kill you." Naruto just ducked his head down.

"Yes Mei-hime." Mei smirked.

"Good boy." She patted him on the head for good measure before turning her attention back to where the girls were only to find a staggering Ao come towards them on the street.

He was mangled and bloodied, his uniform was torn to shreds and his face was mangled..but it was still Ao.

"Ao!"

"Ao-senpai!"

Both shinobi ran up to him right before he collapsed onto the ground, deftly caught by Naruto who laid him gently onto the ground. The man attempted to salute the Mizukage but ended up coughing more blood onto himself, almost choking him.

"What..what happened to you, Ao?" The man attempted to form words but only gurgled up more fluids, Naruto and Mei both knew he didn't have long.

"Mei, I'll take him to the hospital. You should head to the Mizukage suite and coordinate the ninja corp, we have to find his unit and who did this to him!" Mei nodded and watched as Naruto disappeared in a vortex of water before she herself left the scene as well.

-

_Kirigakure, Hospital, Recovery Room_

At the moment, Naruto sat next to a bed where the occupant was hooked up to way too many machines for the young blond to count. He was unsure whether the older man would make it or not, but he wasn't ready to give up on him yet. As soon as Mei called for him, Naruto would go find who did this and make them pay.

_'Who..who would do this. Ao is one of the best ninja from Kiri and he isn't even a Swordsman! Whoever they were though, they seemed to really want to get his Byakugan away from him..perhaps it was-'_

Naruto was awoken from his thoughts by a low gurgle and saw Ao trying to get up, he was quickly stopped by Naruto.

"Ao-senpai, you can't move yet! You're hurt very badly and you need rest, don't worry about those guys who did this to you; we'll get them. I promise!" Ao didn't seem satisfied, he kept grasping for something and made motions in the air with his hands, confusing Naruto.

"What is it? Do you want to..write something?" Ao attempted to smile and nodded, Naruto got up and found a piece of paper and pencil nearby handing them to the man.

While his ability to write with his wounds was sub par, he was able to scribble some writing onto the parchment and shakily gave it back to Naruto. The Swordsman took it and read the two words scrawled onto the message, his hands began to shake from the myriad of emotions running through him. The paper fell to the ground and in a flash Naruto had left the hospital, heading straight for home to get his equipment ready.

Ao fell back into his pillow and felt a rush of sedatives push him into a deep slumber; the note lay untouched on the ground.

The two words were an act of treason, they were an act of war, they had Naruto on a warpath.

_Konoha..Root_

-

_Kirigakure, Mizukage Suite_

The Suite was in a flurry of activity, Mei summoned squad after squad of shinobi, all receiving their orders and disappearing right before the next group came in. The village was to be searched and the surrounding islands scoured for traces of Ao's team and the possible perpetrators of the crime, Kiri was taking no chances.

_'These people have killed some of my own, I will hunt them down like dogs.'_

Naruto appeared in front of an angry and anxious Mei, she looked ready to lash out at anything that crossed paths with her the wrong way. He had on his armor and mask, the broadsword fitted tightly to his back and his equipment all stow away in his pouches and scrolls.

"I know who did this, I'm going to go confront the source now Mizukage-sama." Mei gave her attention to Naruto, her eyes gleaming with anger and anticipation.

"Who, who did this Naruto?" Naruto growled.

"_Root_." He hissed out the name like it was poison, Mei also visibly recoiling at it.

"You mean Konoha..Konoha is involved?" Naruto shook his head negatively.

"I highly doubt Baa-chan even knows about this, Danzo operates in the dark with his operations. If there is anyone to blame, it is him and him alone and I'm going to go bring him to justice." Mei stared into Naruto's veiled eyes, her leadership skills taking over.

"No, it's too risky. He is on his home turf in Fire country, attack him and all of Konoha will be breathing down your neck. We will eliminate his lackeys first then proceed with diplomatic-" Naruto slammed his fist down onto the desk, cracking it's wooden frame.

"Those monsters killed a whole squad and left Ao-senpai permanently crippled, I'm going to kill those _bastards_! Danzo won't stop no matter what we do and Konoha and Tsunade are powerless to stop him even if they _wanted_ to." Mei glared at her fiance, he was not making this any easier on her.

"I understand that, but there is nothing we can do Naruto." Naruto scoffed and walked towards the door, fed up with the politics and niceties of being a Kage.

"I'm going, you'll thank me soon enough." Before Mei could utter another word, Naruto disappeared in a yellow flash. Her arm was outstretched towards the door, desperately trying to pull him back to her.

She lowered the arm after a few long moments, her face tilted towards the floor. Salty tears fell down her cheeks as she broke down, her fiance truly had sent himself into the lion's den and he may not be able to escape this time around.

"NARUTO!"

-

_Konoha Forest, 5 Miles North from Konoha_

Naruto appeared at a marked tree, his Hiraishin seal on it flashed for a moment before disappearing again, leaving Naruto alone in a dark forest.

_'Alright fox, it's time we use your sensing abilities to help me find them.'_

"**What makes you think they are anywhere near here? Shouldn't they be back around Kiri?"**

_'No, once Root gets the job done they always return right back to their master, Danzo. They act like dogs trying to appease their owner by following orders, pitiful. It doesn't matter anymore though, as soon as I find them..there will be no more Root **or **Danzo.'_

"**Whatever, just start heading to Konoha while I try and pinpoint their location."** Naruto got his bearings and broke out into a run, heading straight for his old home town.

A few minutes later, Naruto heard a grunt in the back of his mind and heard Kyuubi point out the direction in which he had to go. Moving out at speeds most would have found impossible, Naruto caught sight of four robed figures moving quickly through the underbrush; they were fast approaching Konoha. He spied them and saw the tell tale ANBU masks and white robes of the black ops in Konoha, they were covered in blood head to toe.

"Sir, the mission was a success?" One of the subordinates asked the leading figure.

"Yes it was, Leader told us to kill the Hunter squad and leave one alive, for what reason though I don't know." Naruto growled, so they left Ao alive on purpose.

"We will just have to trust Leader-sama." Another one of them added, they all silently agreed with the man.

Upon arriving near the gates, the four got off the main road and went to what seemed to be just more bushes and grass. The leader held up a hand sign and the image of the grass disappeared to be replaced with a small manhole, large enough for only one person to fit at one time.

Naruto watched them all enter the base, taking note of the location for future use. Once the last one had gone underground, Naruto quickly dropped from his hiding spot and moved to the manhole, he uncovered it and slapped his bare hand on the ground next to the exit. A small seal appeared and it gave a quick exit to Naruto should he need one.

Entering the base, Naruto had officially infiltrated the Hornet's nest.

-

_Konoha, Underground Caverns, Root Base_

Naruto stalked the halls, keeping out of sight and trying his best to stick to the shadows. Fortunately, the only thing lighting the place were some strategically placed torches and candles, allowing Naruto to easily slide along the sides of the walls under the cover of darkness once he 'shut off' the lights.

Coming across the first door he found, he read the sign over it and smiled.

_Living Quarters, Block A_

Naruto psyched himself before opening the door, he snuck in and saw evenly spaced bunk beds with all the operatives either sleeping or missing entirely. Creating a few dozen shadow clones, Naruto got to work annihilating the Root forces, one member at a time.

He moved from room to room, he was the shadow on the wall that no one thought to look to, the one man out of place. By the time any Root members could realize what was going on, they were dead on their feet. The lucky ones were killed while they slept, simple slits to the throat were all they received.

Upon arriving at two double doors labeled 'Mess Hall' Naruto stood with his clones and kicked the door down, arriving to a sparsely inhabited gymnasium-sized room. The only people there other than him where none other than Hyo and his squad, they all looked towards him with what was surely surprise under their masks.

"Kiri? What the hell are they-" One of them began to question Naruto's arrival before a kunai was launched and a flash appeared, his squad members were horrified as they saw his head hit the floor.

Naruto stood with his broadsword out, facing the Root soldiers with a rage that few had ever seen him have. He was going to kill every single one of them no matter what it took.

"You..die now Root scum!" Naruto and his clones charged, quickly overwhelming Hyo and his squad.

The Konoha shinobi fought bravely but were eventually cut down by the sheer amount of enemies attacking them; Hyo was the last one remaining. He was bloody and beaten, his tanto broken in two and his mask broken in half and he watched Naruto make his way towards him, ready to execute the Root operative.

"Danzo-sama, help!" Naruto continued to make his way towards the panicking man before he saw the door open directly in front of him, Hyo's back was to it. The ANBU turned around and saw his leader, Danzo standing in the doorway glaring at Naruto.

_'Yes! Danzo-sama will defeat him!'_

"Good job Hyo, you have fulfilled your duty." Hyo's eyes widened when he heard those words and turned around only to see a sword come around towards his neck.

Naruto decapitated the man, leaving nothing but shock on the betrayed man's face.

Hyo's last thoughts were on his leader, the man he had put all his life and loyalty into.

_'Danzo-sama..you betrayed us all.'_

"Hello..Nine-Tails." Naruto growled, taking a step closer to the older man. Danzo held his ground, clearly unfazed by the threatening demeanor that Naruto was showing.

"Danzo..you will pay for what you have done!" Danzo smiled, he actually almost felt like laughing.

"I have done nothing wrong, everything that has been done has been for the betterment of Konoha. If you would have remained in your place like you should have, you would have played a part in that as well." Naruto scoffed, no way would he serve him.

"I would never have followed your orders Danzo!" Danzo just shook his head, disappointed at the boy.

"You say that..but what if I could make it so you _didn't have a choice_?" Naruto's eyes widened, what did he mean?

_'No time to find out, I have to get him before he tries something!'_

Naruto charged towards Danzo, closing the distance between them in seconds. Suddenly, the blond stopped running, his entire body was shaking and his pupils became dilated.

_'What..what is this? A genjutsu..I can't move my body!'_

"Now then, bow Nine-Tails!" Naruto's body slowly moved to a kneeling position, a sharingan eye briefly flashed in each of Naruto's pupils before disappearing. He had fallen under Danzo's mind control, Shisui's sharingan ability.

"I..am at your service, Danzo-sama." Danzo smirked, the boy had fallen right into his trap. He had lured Naruto here, knowing that he would be driven by revenge to come and stop him, the boy's judgment became clouded and Danzo acted on it.

Slowly pulling out one of his kunai, Danzo stalked towards Naruto slowly; he wanted to savor this moment for the rest of his life.

"That's a good boy, now hold still you little runt!"

_'If Konoha cannot control the Nine-Tails completely, then I will make sure **no one **can have it's power!'_

-

Dun, Dun Dun!! Cliffhanger! Lot's of history this chapter too, I hope I did well on that part. Tell me what you thought of the chapter in a review and also visit my profile to participate in my new poll.

Stay tuned to find out what happens!

G3rMan


	12. Genjutsu Broken, Jinchuuriki Have Perks!

Uzumaki Clan's Rebirth

Chapter 12

Genjutsu Broken, Jinchuuriki Have Perks!

**Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO!**

"speaking"

_'thinking'_

"**Jutsu**"

**"Tailed Beast Speak"**

NaruxMei

**BLOODLINE WARNING**: Naruto uses **Lava** and **Boil** Release in this story. He has three elements in total because of his bloodlimit, Fire, Water, and Earth.

-

_Konoha, Underground Caverns, Root Base_

Danzo stalked towards Naruto's kneeling form, his victorious smirk could grow no wider than it was now. Naruto was helpless to just watch the older man approach with the small dagger, intending to end his life.

_'Crap, this is bad. I can still think but I can't influence my bodies reactions. I have to think of a way out and quick.'_

"**Remember our training in Kumo Naruto. Just like Killer Bee and Yugito taught you, a jinchuuriki is impervious to genjutsu of any kind as long as the tailed beast and container are in sync."** Naruto wanted to slap his forehead in stupidity, how could he forget that lesson?

_'Alright Kyuubi, disrupt my chakra! I have to move now!'_ Kyuubi grunted in acknowledgment and quickly undid the bonds that held Naruto's conscience down, the boy had his body back.

The blond pretended to still be under his control until the last second, Danzo now stood directly in front of him poised to strike.

"Goodbye Nine-Tails.." Danzo plunged his dagger towards Naruto's unmoving neck but his eye widened when the boy grabbed his wrist and with his immense strength twisted, breaking that wrist easily.

Jumping away from Naruto and nursing his broken hand, the older man's elation had changed to seething anger. He glared at Naruto who was glaring right back at him, his broadsword was now in his hands again.

_'Damn old bones, can't even handle a damn brat's strength, it has to be on par with Tsunade's. I may have to retreat-'_

He was unable to continue when he noticed Naruto throw something at him; sifting through his knowledge, his eyes widened again at the outcome.

_'The Yondaime's kunai?'_

A flash appeared in front of Danzo and he was sliced in half, a clean horizontal cut right across his abdomen. Naruto watched as the body fell to the ground and Danzo uttered his last breathe, the last words from the monster of Konoha.

"Not bad..for a demon!" Naruto saw his eye close and turned around to leave, finished with this place.

Naruto's eyes widened when he felt a presence behind him and looked to see..Danzo?! He was standing there in front of the Kiri ninja, looking very annoyed at the outcome of that event.

"Well..I had hoped to avoid confrontation but it appears I have no choice." Naruto growled.

"Damn right you don't have a choice, I'm going to make you pay!" Danzo frowned, glaring at Naruto.

"You continue to say that, yet I don't see any results. I am curious however as to how you were able to escape my genjutsu, it is a very powerful illusion of the Uchiha."

"All you need to know is that a jinchuuriki is never affected by a genjutsu, no matter how powerful it is. Now enough talk, it's time to finish this." Danzo smiled, slowly undoing his bandages around his eye first before moving onto his arm.

"I have been saving these for just the occasion, I am ready to finally use the powers that I have garnered for myself. It is time I force you to fight for this village, whether you wish to or not." Naruto watched as the man undid his bindings and revealed a sharingan eye and an arm covered by a gauntlet.

"Huh, and here I always thought you were a cripple. How long have you been holding this secret?" Danzo scoffed.

"Long enough, I have been saving these abilities for when I thought I would need them against _you_, please do not disappoint me runt."

"We'll see who you are calling a runt when this is over." Danzo chuckled, flexing his arms and slowly revealing the covered arm.

"When this is over, you will be calling me _Danzo-sama_." Naruto snarled and charged the man; Danzo began going through hand signs with both of his arms.

Naruto's eyes widened in wonder when he saw Danzo's other arm, it was covered in sharingans!

_'What the hell did he do to himself..'_

"**I count 10 sharingan total, 9 eyes are open and 1 is closed. Possibly he already used it for a technique we didn't catch, it might have been what had saved him from that blade attack."**

_'Possibly.'_

"**Wind Release: Vacuum Sphere!**"

Naruto saw him open his mouth and shoot a number of small blasts straight at him, leaving him little room to dodge. Thinking quickly, Naruto stopped running and held up his large sword in front of himself; it almost completely covered the entire front of his body.

"Hiding won't do you any good!"

Naruto felt the bullets impact the sword but smiled as he watched the bullets disappear and a surge of chakra flow through his system. His sword's containment seals had done it again, who needs a fancy sword like the others when Naruto knows sealing, right?

"..Interesting seal." Danzo analyzed the defensive move, silently impressed with Naruto's sealing ability.

"You haven't seen anything yet!" Naruto went through a set of hand signs before slamming his palm onto the ground and pulling upwards. As if he was holding a magnet to metal, a rock column closely followed the moving hand out of the ground and it stayed in front of Naruto.

"**Earth Release: Rock Blizzard!**"

With a violent kick, Naruto send dozens of large pieces of sharpened rocks at Danzo who deftly dodged them with his speed. Moving quickly, the Kiri Swordsman launched himself at Danzo and thrust his sword at him again and again, each time it was dodged by Danzo.

"Come on boy, is that really all you have?" Naruto growled and shot a lava bullet at Danzo who moved to avoid it only to be met with a pained feeling in his shoulder. Looking towards his left arm, Danzo realized his folly too late to stop Naruto's sword from piercing through his body again leaving him without an arm.

Naruto smirked in victory but stopped smiling when he saw the Danzo in front of him disappear; he turned around to see Danzo going through more hand signs.

"**Wind Release: Vacuum Wave!**"

Naruto moved to put up his sword but was stopped when Danzo pulled back his arm and then the blond saw it, a wire had wrapped itself around his sword. Giving a strong tug, Danzo took the sword right out of the swordsman's hand, it fell to the ground with a heavy thud.

Having nothing to protect him against the wind, Naruto moved to one of the supporting pillars in the middle of the dining hall and hid behind one. The wind blades slashed right through them, making the roof dangerously shake from the weakening strength of the structure. Naruto luckily was able to duck from the blades, already having predicted the cover wouldn't last.

Spying his sword on the ground, Naruto took out two of his father's kunai and charged for it; Danzo was running towards him, trying to intercept. Meeting Naruto before he could grab the sword, Danzo went to reach for it but was _burned_ when he attempted to grab it, the attack momentarily stunned him.

A moment was all Naruto needed.

In a second, Naruto had effortlessly kicked his sword into the air and threw his two kunai into either of Danzo's shoulders, causing the man to cry out in agony. His sword quickly fell due to gravity and Naruto grabbed it immediately before slicing off Danzo's left arm. A full minute had gone by in the fight so far.

_'Damn..Izanagi will no longer work.'_

Naruto waited for another apparition to take Danzo's place but when he saw nothing appearing he smiled. Danzo was not happy, he was lightly panting and angered over the result of losing an arm to Naruto.

"Well..that worked out."

"This isn't over yet Nine-Tails!"

Danzo's remaining arm began to sprout a growth, it slowly took the form of a tree. From that tree, hundreds of sharpened spikes launched at Naruto who was forced to use a technique to get away from them all.

"**Lava Release: Lava Wall!**"

Naruto stomped his foot onto the ground and a large wall of molten rock appeared in front of him, blocking the enemy attack's path. The spikes plunged straight into the lava and were set on fire, the tree slowly melted away.

_'Lava eh? I always knew I should have kidnapped him the day he was born from that wretched woman!'_

Unfortunately for both combatants, the lava wall also affected the structural support and destroyed a few more pillars keeping the room up. There were only a few structural pillars remaining and they were between the two combatants, one of them happened to be growing a chakra tail while the other glared.

"It's ti**me to finish this!"** Naruto's voice deepened and his features became more announced on his face, allowing Danzo to envision the true demon inside of him.

"I will destroy you if I must Nine-Tails!"

"**I'd like to see you try."**

Naruto held out a hand and brought his sword to him, it flew through the air and was grabbed by the palm of his hand.

"**Chakra flow, you can do many things with it."** Naruto explained and Danzo scowled.

"I don't need a damn lesson on it, I'm more experienced than you will ever be!"

Naruto just shrugged and charged towards the man who in turn charged him, both hurtled straight for the other. Danzo took out one of his kunai and blew a gust of wind on it, a low whine or gust could be heard emanating from it.

The two brought their weapons together in the middle of the room, a loud clack could be heard as the two tried to snuff out the other in their sword battle. Naruto smirked as he began to push Danzo back, the wind chakra being absorbed by the sword made the root commander's attack useless.

Danzo scowled again, he backed away and went through hand signs while Naruto held up his hand and began to form chakra.

"**Wind Release: Vacuum Serial Wave!**"

"**Massive Rasengan!**"

Naruto threw himself towards Danzo with the immense Rasengan in front of him, the wind blades disrupting but not stopping the large, blue sphere. Danzo bit his tongue in annoyance and dodged the attack just barely, a part of his robe was ripped away from the blast. Unfortunately, the attack was the final blow for the underground base and the roof began to fall on top of them, leaving them little time to think of a plan.

Naruto began to go through hand signs and a shadow clone popped into existence before the clone began to go through hand signs as well. The combo was a first for Naruto, he had just thought up the idea from his past fighting.

"**Lava Release: Lava Wall!**"

"**Water Release: Great Waterfall Technique!**"

As the circular dome came into being around the two, the water immediately cooled the volatile lava into a solidified ash that was nigh unbreakable. Danzo angrily and if he would admit to it, jealously watched the Uzumaki Kekkei Genkai in action and angered he could not do the same to save himself.

Dodging the collapsing roof pieces, Danzo used his wind techniques to destroy the larger pieces and slowly began to jump towards the moonlight that shown through the cracks in the surface.

-

_Konoha, Hokage Office_

Tsunade sat in her office, working late to finish up the stupid paperwork she was forced to do as Hokage.

_'I wish Naruto hadn't have left, I could have given him this job!'_

Tsunade stopped writing for a moment and went into thought, she looked up at the ceiling. Naruto had yet to come for his monthly visit and Tsunade was getting increasingly antsy for him to come back home, if only for a little while. Sakura and the others were also very excited after receiving the news that he would be coming to visit soon, everyone had their hopes up.

Her thoughts were interrupted when Shizune came bursting in through the door with a number of jounin, including Kakashi.

"Hokage-sama, a large area of ground right outside of Konoha has just collapsed onto itself. There have also been scattered reports of two shinobi fighting each other there!"

Tsunade's eyes widened, fighting? She turned serious immediately, her Hokage leadership ability coming into play.

"Let's go then, we have to stop it before it reaches Konoha!"

"Yes Ma'am!"

-

_Konoha, Forest_

"**DANZO!"**

"NINE-TAILS!"

The two combatants had escaped from the underground confines and now stood on the cracked and broken surface of the earth nearby, charging at one another. Naruto now had two tails and Danzo's arm was furiously growing more and more spikes and tree growth, the sharingan eyes flaring and spinning.

Sending out multiple chakra arms, Naruto pinned Danzo in place while he formed a rasengan in his palm, the color was a deep vermillion.

"**NINE TAILS RASENGAN!"** Danzo smirked even as he was being crushed to death.

_'You won't win that easily boy..'_

Naruto watched in satisfaction as Danzo was obliterated by a combination of his chakra hands squeezing the man and his rasengan ripping into his chest cavity. Blood spattered everywhere, Naruto felt much of it land on his face to which he slowly licked it with his tongue, the bloodlust feeling _so_ good.

"Ha! A petty cretin like you could never kill me with that _horrible_ replication of the Yondaime's jutsu!" Naruto's eyes widened as he turned around into a fist.

He was knocked back onto the ground and was stopped by a seal that spread across his body, freezing his muscles and stopping his counterattack.

Danzo was upon him.

Going through the appropriate hand signs, Danzo gathered air into his mouth and looked down at the shocked Naruto, he was desperately trying to free himself of the seal. It would never work.

"**Wind Release: Vacuum Great Sphere!**"

_'At point-blank range, it is impossible for even the Kyuubi to heal this.'_

"DANZO, STOP!" Before he had time to react, a punch had been sent right into his cheek from the side, effectively stopping his jutsu from continuing.

Looking to the source of the intrusion, he found none other than the Hokage of Konoha; Tsunade was panting slightly and was flushed with anger.

"What the hell are you-" Danzo was interrupted when a primal roar came from something to his right, it also drew Tsunade's attention there as well.

Naruto was releasing a large amount of chakra and slowly getting up from his prone position, the seals slowly receding from his body. The Konoha ninja's eyes widened.

_'My god, how is this boy able to release so much of the Kyuubi's power? He should be going insane with bloodlust!'_

'_Naruto..is that really you?'_

"**RWOAHHHHH!!!"** Breaking the seal, Naruto turned his demonic eyes towards a slightly unnerved Danzo and flashed from their view only to appear right in front of the hobbled man.

"**DIE!"** Naruto clawed the man repeatedly, blood shot out of his chest from the deep gashes Naruto was creating. Tsunade was horrified, what had led Naruto to do something so..sinister?

"Naruto, STOP!" Tsunade started to run towards him with tears in her eyes, the other jounin had arrived and were visibly repulsed by the Kyuubi container's presence.

Kakashi overlooked the battlefield and shook his head grimly as he watched Tsunade run towards Naruto.

_'That's dangerous, what the hell are you doing?!'_

Stopping from his onslaught on Danzo for a moment, Naruto got up from the man and turned around to see Tsunade running towards him; her fear evident from her face. Naruto frowned, even though his anger had been greatly enhanced by Kyuubi's chakra flowing through him, he could still control himself while in this form.

_'In fact, thanks to my own training and Killer Bee's advice, I can now transform into the eighth tail state before I lose control by going any farther.'_

Naruto quickly reverted his transformation back to his normal self and was tackled by Tsunade just as the last of the red/orange chakra dissipated.

"Naruto! What..what are you doing here? Please..please don't..transform again!" Naruto was shocked as Tsunade childishly punched his chest with her fists, sobbing for him to never transform again.

Smiling softly, he placed his arms around his baa-chan and hugged her tightly to his chest.

"It's alright baa-chan, I'm-" Naruto was cut off when a wet crunching sound was heard, Tsunade looked up into Naruto's widened eyes.

"Naruto..?" Tsunade tried to get a response from the now unmoving boy but her eyes widened in fear when she saw blood seep out of his open mouth, his face of surprise.

"Die..Nine-Tails.." And with that, Danzo fell backwards onto the hard ground, his kunai still lodged in the back of Naruto's chest cavity.

His breathing labored, he knew that he would not have much more time.

"Naruto..Naruto..No! NO!" Tsunade began to sob as Naruto's weight fell onto her, his eyes gently closing as he embraced the overwhelming urge to sleep.

"SHIZUNE!" Shizune immediately appeared and they both went to work while Naruto was lying on the ground, blood pouring out of his back.

"We need to stabilize him, his lung and kidney have been punctured!" Shizune warned, Tsunade's illuminated hands moved up and down Naruto's body, trying to sift through where to heal first.

"The treatment isn't working, that bastard!" Tsunade looked up from Naruto to where Danzo was but her eyes widened when there was _no body_.

"Kakashi! Find Danzo, don't let him escape!" Kakashi's eyes were actually tearing up, he couldn't believe that Danzo would go so low as to hit Naruto while his back was turned.

_'I can't lose Naruto, he..he is my last hope of redemption!'_

"Yes Ma'am!" The silver-haired man disappeared, he was on a manhunt for the murderer of one of the most important people in the ninja world.

"Come on Naruto, wake up! Wake up! Wake up for baa-chan!" Tsunade was crying desperately, actually praying that Kyuubi would help her godson come back, come back to life.

"We're losing him Tsunade-sama!" The two medics working to save Naruto's life did not notice the appearance of the majority of the rookie 12, all coming to see the big commotion.

Sakura pushed her way through the circle of jounin to see what the commotion was, the panic in her teacher's voice _terrified_ her. Finally getting through to where Tsunade and Shizune were, Sakura's eyes widened and tears were already forming, Naruto lay motionless in a pool of blood, _his blood_.

"Oh my god! Naruto!" Tsunade looked up to see her pink-haired apprentice looking at the blond with sheer terror in her eyes, the medic glared at her.

"Get a grip Sakura and help us because if you don't, he may _really_ die!" Awaking from her stupor, Sakura knelt down next to her teacher and began to heal Naruto's large wound but found it not working.

"We already tried Sakura, Danzo laced his kunai with poison. It is preventing our medical jutsu from repairing his cells, we can't even stop the bleeding!" Sakura's eyes widened again, how were they supposed to save him.

Rain began to fall as everyone began to realize the vibe, the vibe that Naruto really was _dying_. It soaked all the shinobi there but no one gave it a second thought, all too entranced by the boy the three most powerful medics Konoha had ever seen were desperately trying to save. Even those shinobi with grudges against Kyuubi were at a loss when it came to feeling any anger towards Naruto, this showed that he was no different, that he could be struck down just as easily as any of them could be.

"Dammit! Don't you go Naruto! DON'T LEAVE!" Sakura began to pound her fist into Naruto's chest as his heart stopped beating, her desperation evident in her rescue attempt.

The hero was dying and no one could stop it.

-

_Konoha Hospital, One Week Later_

Naruto awoke to a lot of..white. Feeling Deja vu all over again from his last hospital visit, Naruto calmed himself and tried looking left this time again. He saw nothing but more of his room and a white door that lead out to the hallway. Looking in front, he saw many 'Get well' cards and balloons on a table waiting for him to look at, he absently wondered how long he had been here. Lastly, he turned to his right only to be assaulted by a fist to his face, it sent him flying back into his hospital pillow and he thought that he could see stars.

"About time you looked in this direction!" Naruto recognized that voice, but it couldn't be her. She was still in Kiri..right?

"M..Mei-hi..me?" He croaked out, sounding out her name in genuine disbelief it was her. Inclining his head slowly to look in the right direction, he was met with the narrowed eyes of one Uzumaki Mei, and she really was angry.

Her lips were pursed shut, her eyes were glaring murder, she was standing with her hands on her hips, and their was little of the usual shine that she would radiate when he was near. Naruto gulped, he knew that he had done something bad and now he was going to pay for it.

"I'm not the type of woman to cry when her fiance is injured, nor the type to sob when she was disobeyed by her most loyal ninja just for the sake of revenge. But.." Mei lost her anger and looked down, her bangs not allowing him to see her face.

"You..made me into that type of woman with this stunt." Naruto's eyes widened when Mei tackled him in bed, her arms wrapped around his neck and her lips over his. The kiss was a hungry one, but it was also to reassure Mei that he was still there, alive and unharmed.

"I'm..I'm such an idiot. I'm so..so sorry Mei. I should have just listened to you but I..I-" Mei moved away a bit from his face and had a small, rueful smile on her face.

"You were an Uzumaki, I should have expected something like that from you. Just..don't do it again." Her eyes darkened and her voice had taken an ominous tone, one that made Naruto truly afraid. "_Do you understand, koibito?_"

"..Yes, Mei-hime." She brightened up again and smiled, kissing his cheek and sitting down in a nearby chair. He grabbed her hand and stroked it, glad that she had forgiven him.

"So..how long have I been out?" Mei looked at him, she was frowning from actual amount of time.

"One week, I arrived after the first day. I had set out soon after you had left with no bodyguards, they only would have slowed me down." Naruto was able to afford a smile at that, one that made Mei smile too.

"Wow..what a woman." Mei blushed, looking away from him to try and hide it.

"It's what any good fiancee would do..right?" Naruto chuckled, squeezing her hand to reassure her everything was fine.

"I know that I would do it in a heartbeat for you." Mei smirked.

"And you mean that _literally_ too, don't you?" They both laughed at that and settled for just talking with one another the rest of his recovery, it was nice to be with reunited once again.

-

_Konoha, Deep Forest_

Danzo was huffing from pain and exertion, his men were carrying him to their destination. Danzo smiled at the thought that his soldiers still remained, save Hyo's squad. He had cast a complex illusion over the base before Naruto had arrived, making him see that he was killing his men when really he was passing through empty rooms.

_'Jinchuuriki may not be affected by direct attacks by genjutsu, however they can still be affected by their surroundings being under an illusion.'_

"Sir? How much longer until we reach our destination?" The large group of root shinobi had been running almost nonstop from Konoha since Danzo's close 'victory' over Naruto, he had immediately gotten away with his men and ordered them to set off for Amegakure.

"Not much longer boys, I have been there..once. We have..much to discuss with them."

-

_Otogakure, Underground Base_

"Sasuke..how is your individual training going? Well I hope?" A pale man with snake eyes questioned his apprentice, a blue haired teen with a sword hooked to his belt and the Uchiha symbol on his clothing.

Sasuke turned to look at Orochimaru, his tone of voice or looks not changing from their level of neutral.

"It's going fine."

_'It won't be much longer until you get yours, Orochimaru.'_

"Oh? That's good, I can't wait to..'test' the fruits of our labor." The man hissed out, pleased with his vessel's response and progress over the past three years.

"Hmph. Whatever." Orochimaru watched the haughty clansman walk towards his room, totally ignoring Orochimaru's wish to continue the admittedly one-sided conversation.

"..Little brat, it may be sooner than you think. Perhaps your friends could try and 'rescue' you again? I would love to see how that Uzumaki has progressed since our last meeting." The snake man licked his lips, already imagining the _delectable _battle it would be.

-

Done! Had some drama and tension, small fight between Danzo and Naruto. I didn't want to kill off Danzo yet because I feel he could play a larger part in the stories scheme as we get into the third arc. I also opened up the possibilities for future conflict with Orochimaru and Sasuke and hinted at who Danzo will 'work with' for some time. See ya!


	13. Tour of the Past, Old Friends Collide!

Uzumaki Clan's Rebirth

Chapter 13

Tour of the Past, Old Memories and Friends Come Forth!

**Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO!**

"speaking"

_'thinking'_

"**Jutsu**"

**"Tailed Beast Speak"**

NaruxMei

**BLOODLINE WARNING**: Naruto uses **Lava** and **Boil** Release in this story. He has three elements in total because of his bloodlimit, Fire, Water, and Earth.

Author Rant:

Alright, this has been an issue that I have been getting annoyed by because of some reviews by _some_ of my readers. The ones doing it should know that I don't hate them obviously, they are just annoying me a lot :P. The thing that is getting on my nerves is that everyone continues to either underestimate Naruto's enemies or their mind conjures up the idea that Naruto is invincible. Well you are WRONG!

It started with the Hidan/Kakuzu fight because everyone thought it took too long and Naruto should have beaten them sooner but I hate having short fights like with Deidara and Sasori because those are boring and they make Naruto look like an unbeatable god. I'm making the fights longer to be _more_ realistic and to write more of the action which I'm sure you all enjoy. Naruto's enemies can't just be rated as 'beatable by Naruto' because even if Naruto can beat them, it doesn't mean he can do it in a heartbeat or that it should only take a few attacks.

Take for example Danzo, there has never been a recorded fight between Naruto and Danzo and I took knowledge of both shinobi's abilities and pitted them against each other _fairly_. So you all need to get over the Naruto power trip and start realizing that Naruto can't win all his battles and there will always be an underdog victory.

-

_Konoha Hospital_

Tsunade walked the halls of the medical building in Konoha, where the sick could be healed and doctors could be found. She was on her way to check up on Naruto who had apparently just woken up according to what the nurses told her. She had been afraid he would never wake up from the practical coma he had been in for the past week, with the deadly poison that had run through him anything was possible.

Approaching the correct wing of the hospital, Tsunade spied Sakura in her nurse uniform and waved her over, a smile present on the younger girl's face.

"Tsunade-sama, did you hear that Naruto woke up?" Tsunade nodded her head, confirming it.

"Yes, in fact I was just about to go visit him right now. Would you like to come along?" Sakura glanced at the other nurses before nodding and heading off with Tsunade.

Getting closer to the blond's room, Tsunade and Sakura took notice of strange noises coming from it's direction. Looking at one another, they both gave a confused look before walking up to the door. Tsunade set her hand on the door knob and listened in on the door.

"Now Naruto-koi, I think it's about time we finish this! Somebody..might find us!" She heard what sounded to be a woman's voice inside the room, her eyes widened.

_'Mei?'_

"Ah! I'm almost there, keep going Mei-hime! You're the best healer I..could have..asked for." Hearing Naruto moan out that sentence made her angry, she could tell Sakura was getting angry too.

"I'm your..Fiancee! That's..my job, right?" Tsunade was at her wits end and bust down the door, coming across two naked people on the bed.

Mei was looking at the door with surprise evident on her face but also hint of annoyance tugging at her lips while Naruto looked like a deer caught between headlights; he knew he was done for. Sakura came charging into the room and assessed the situation, or more towards just staring at the two in mid-intercourse and Naruto's large piece. She blushed scarlet while she just stared at it in a trance.

_'Oh..oh my. Is that really Naruto's, it's so..so..big. How can she handle that thing, how would **I** handle that thing?'_

"Um..hello!" Mei awkwardly waved at the two, not bothering to cover herself or show any signs of embarrassment. Mei was a very honest woman and not embarrassed by having herself revealed. Naruto on the other hand was futilely trying to cover himself up with a blanket, panicking over the dangerous situation.

"I can..explain baa-chan!" Tsunade formed a fist with her hand, stalking towards the two Uzumaki.

"Oh, I bet you can. Why don't you tell me-" Mei raised her voice over Tsunade's, getting both of them out of the hot water.

"We were just busy restoring the clan, we want a lot of little Uzumaki running around the house. And the sooner we get them, the sooner someone gets _grandchildren_, right Naruto?" Naruto looked up at Mei who had been straddling him during their fun time and smiled, nodding slowly.

_'Nice save Mei!'_

Tsunade's eyes widened and she blushed a bit at the thought of being a grandma, slowly edging away from the two. Sakura had finally passed out from blood loss and lay there in a pool of red, going completely unnoticed.

"Well then..continue with what you were doing. Don't let me stop you!" Tsunade smiled big and grabbed Sakura's limp arm before dragging her out with her.

As soon as they both had left, the couple looked at one another and wiped the sweat off their brows.

"That.." Naruto started.

"Was a close one." Mei finished before resuming her activity of riding Naruto's member.

-

_Konoha_

Naruto and Mei stood right outside the hospital, fully dressed and done with their 'play time'. Mei looked at Naruto and Naruto looked at Mei, both smiled.

"Commence Operation: Vacation from Kiri." Naruto playfully said, making Mei giggle.

"Now you can show me around your old town Naruto! I would love to meet all your friends too." Naruto had a lackluster smile after that, his home village was really not somewhere he wanted to stay for long.

"How about we go to the Hokage office first, then we can go check out the training grounds for the rookies." Mei nodded and settled for holding Naruto's hand as he guided throughout the city.

He pointed out all the landmarks he could to the entranced Mei while walking, she was very curious as to what Konoha was like compared to Kiri. Naruto was glad that no one recognized him any longer, to have any grudges or conflicts come up because of his past with the villagers would not go well with Mei alongside him.

Finally arriving at the Hokage tower, the two shinobi shunshined to her room and saw her briefing a combined force of Team 8 and 10, their sensei turning towards the new presence immediately.

"Ah..look who we have here." Tsunade remarked, causing the rest of the younger shinobi to look behind them to the two Kiri ninja.

Naruto stood looking impassively at his old friends with his hands folded across his chest. Mei had a hand on her hip and she was leaning on one leg, trying to assess the people who were her in Naruto's age group.

Asuma's cigarette fell out of his mouth after he recognized Naruto and Kurenai's eyes widened, furtively glancing in Hinata's direction. Shino immediately made the distinction of Naruto and nodded slightly but was intrigued as to who the woman was. Kiba stared with wide eyes at both Naruto _and_ his fiancee, a beautiful woman that he wanted to be with like a dog in heat. Ino, Shikamaru and Choji all shared their own surprised faces at the two, Shikamaru whispered something about 'troublesome blonds'. Hinata on the other hand was outright blushing at seeing Naruto again, especially after him growing so much in the past three years but she was a bit jealous to see him arrive with a woman.

"Naruto..is that you?" Kiba asked incredulously, earning a nod from the blond.

Naruto now noticed that the majority of them (All but Hinata) were eying his grey Kiri jounin vest and his forehead protector with the Kiri symbol, obviously needing confirmation he had really changed sides. Hinata just continued to stare at his face, unable to form words at the sight before her.

"So..you really are a Kiri shinobi?" Shino asked rhetorically to which Naruto nodded anyway. "Interesting.."

"Whoa..Naruto is that your weapon?" Choji pointed out the large greatsword on his back and Naruto nodded again, earning more surprised gasps from the chunin and jounin.

Kiba walked up to Naruto and leaned in close to Naruto's ear, careful to keep his voice low.

"Hey Naruto..who is she?" Naruto watched Kiba hike a thumb towards Mei who was watching their 'private' conversation with silent intrigue and amusement. Naruto smirked, he was going to ruin Kiba's zero chances really quick.

"That's my fiancee, idiot." Everyone's eyes widened and Kiba stumbled backwards, just stuttering while pointing his finger back and forth between the two. Mei smiled, moving over to Naruto and looping her arm with his and holding his hand, showing everyone their relationship.

"Y..Y..Y you're engaged!? To her!?" Kiba all but yelled out and Naruto and Mei smiled and nodded; Kiba proceeded to faint in complete disbelief. Akamaru knelt down to assist his partner while the others just gave their congratulations.

"Nice job Naruto."

"So troublesome, you always have to make a scene don't you Naruto?"

"Interesting."

"Wow, I can't believe Naruto got with an older woman..nice."

"Not bad Naruto."

"What's her name?"

Mei stepped forward a bit, taking a small bow to the shinobi gathered.

"My name is Mei Uzumaki and I am the Fifth Mizukage of Kirigakure." Everyone was surprised to hear that, Naruto was marrying an Uzumaki _and_ Kage?

"It is good to meet you, Mizukage-sama." All the Konoha shinobi bowed slightly to her in respect. She waved her hand lazily, not keen on the whole 'respect' thing from the Konoha shinobi.

"Don't mention it, we just came by so Naruto could show me all his old friends. I must say, you are all very..interesting." Everyone began to have small talk with each other while Hinata just smiled sadly, her Naruto had been taken away from her.

_'I was too late..'_

She felt pained tears come to her eyes and looked down to hide them when she felt a reassuring hand on her shoulder from Kurenai, who just gave the girl a rueful smile.

"I'm sorry Hinata.." Wiping her eyes clear, Hinata smiled at her sensei.

"It's fine Kurenai-sensei, he looks happy. In the end, that's all I really want to see, his wonderful smile. I will not forget what he taught me and I will strive to continue being stronger, even if he will not be by my side." Kurenai smiled at her little rookie.

_'Hinata, you have grown so much..'_ She glanced at Naruto. _'And he is the reason behind it all even if he probably doesn't know.'_

"Alright! I think you all have your assignments and I think Mei is getting a bit smothered. You may all see Naruto later before he leaves to go back to Kiri." Tsunade ordered the ninja to clear out to which they did reluctantly, leaving four ninja in the room now; Kakashi had just arrived through the window.

"Ah Naruto..you're up I see." Kakashi greeted Naruto with a wave; he turned towards Mei. "Mizukage-sama." He inclined his head in an informal bow and received a simple wave of indifference.

"Yes, I was thinking that Mei and myself could get some sparring in before he we head home, she can't be gone for too long since she is the Mizukage after all." Tsunade nodded, understanding their situation.

"Alright, I'm sure you remember where the training grounds are Naruto. Go enjoy yourselves and tell me when you're leaving, I'd like to at least say goodbye." Naruto nodded and grabbed Mei's hand before departing, leaving Kakashi and Tsunade alone.

Tsunade swiveled her chair to face the copy ninja and could already tell that his mission was a failure. Kakashi could see what he thought to be disappointment and looked away, shamed that he was unable to find Danzo.

"I'm sorry Hokage-sama but I was unable to find any trace of Danzo, my hounds think he was headed for Amegakure but I'm not positive. I want to trust them but.."

"The question is why he would want to go to Amegakure." Tsunade finished, remembering rumors of the civil unrest and turmoil in the industrial country. She didn't understand what Danzo wished to gain from going there.

"Do you have any idea, Hokage?" Kakashi asked, hoping the older woman would have more knowledge of it than he.

Tsunade got up out of her chair and went to the window, looking out at the village with her hands clasped behind her back. Her eyes were squinted in quiet concentration until they relaxed suddenly, her arms fell limp to her sides.

"..Not a clue."

-

_Konoha Training Grounds_

"And this is my old stomping grounds, Training Ground 7. That was my old team, team 7." Naruto had brought Mei to the place where he first became a genin and his team was made official.

Naruto took in a breathe of fresh of air and looked at his surroundings, he noticed that not much at all had changed in the three years he had been away. Mei was looking around in wonder and curiosity, glad to finally see Naruto's past and what made him into what was brought before her three years ago.

Squeezing her hand, Naruto led Mei over to the three wooden stumps that served as his 'punishment' for failing the test.

"Right here is where my sensei tied me up for failure to get the bells that were part of our genin test, I had to go without lunch. It was really horrible.." Mei giggled and patted Naruto on the head, kissing his cheek.

"Aw. My poor little baby, was Kakashi really that mean?" Naruto looked at the stump with reverence, receiving an onset of memories of the day.

"Yeah, he really showed us the distinction of teacher and student, the level we were at and the level we could one day reach. At the time, I really didn't think about any of that kind of stuff, I just wanted to be a cool ninja...what a fool I was." Mei smiled a bit, squeezing his hand.

"Many children dream of becoming shinobi, Naruto. Only those with the drive and strength to do so end up becoming part of the ninja corp; you were strong to continue fighting for what you wanted even through adversity. Myself.." Mei released his hand and took a few steps forward, looking down at the ground to collect her thoughts.

"I at first didn't want to be a shinobi. When I heard of the Uzumaki history and just how bloody our clan was known for being, I was afraid to become what my ancestors had. My father, while much more compassionate then most pure-blood fathers, subtly urged me to become a ninja and follow in the footsteps of our family. My mother said to do what I thought was right, she was always on my side when an argument came up." Mei smiled at the memories of her parents, the time for remembrance getting the better of her.

Naruto walked to her and slung an arm around her shoulders, bringing her attention to the smiling blond.

"Your parents sound like wonderful people, so why did you choose to become the future _Mizukage_." Naruto asked with a certain haughty undertone added to her esteemed position, earning a playful slap from Mei.

"The Massacres.." She finally whispered with a frown, her head bowed down in sorrow. Naruto immediately frowned after hearing her and tightened his grip around her waist, bringing her close to him.

"I'm sorry, you don't-" He was cut off by a wave from Mei, who was dead set on telling him the story.

"No, there is nothing you should be sorry about. It is something dark that happened in Kiri's history that needs to be retold, and I could use someone to talk to about it. It's been so long..but I..I" Mei's mental barriers began to fall, the horrid memories of what happened to her late family bringing brought to the surface.

When Mei fell to her knees in pure anguish, it brought Naruto down as well. He could not bear to see his hime, the love his life in so much pain and unable to do anything about it. Softly taking both her trembling hands into his own, he looked into her puffy and teary eyes intent on letting her know that he was here, that she no longer had to be alone.

"Mei..I cannot take back what has happened to your family, no matter how much I wish I could. But, I want you to know that you don't..you don't have to be alone with the memories. I can be there with you, to shoulder them and take the burden from your shoulders, if it would continue to make you smile. Please Mei..please stop crying." Naruto pleaded with her, trying his best to help her through the new influx of sheer angst and pain that it would make anyone feel.

Stifling her quiet sobs, Mei had listened purely enraptured by Naruto's promise. The chance to share the painful memories and stop leaving herself so vulnerable was so _appealing_, she no longer wanted to feel empty as she walked the halls of her estate. She no longer wanted to feel..alone.

_'Maybe that's why I always wanted children..'_ She idly mused.

Seeing that her fiance was waiting for an answer, she squeezed his hands and smiled.

"..Thank you Naruto-koi, I no longer want to feel lonely like have for so long. To think of the..Massacre is painful but..as long as you are here beside me, I am willing to tell the tale." Naruto smiled and pulled himself up and without a word, whisked Mei away to a nearby tree and sat down with his back against it.

Leading her down, she now lay between his legs with her own arms entangled around Naruto's arms.

"Alright Mei, whenever you are ready." Mei smiled and took a relaxing breathe before talking again.

"Well, I suppose it began when I was 16. At that point, the Uzu-Kiri conflict was a thing of the past and a new, peaceful Mizukage had been elected. His name was Yagura, and he was also the Three-Tails jinchuuriki; contrary to Konoha, Kiri had no qualms against the Three-Tails so Yagura was well received. His benevolence led our citizens to become very prosperous and any remaining problems for the Uzumaki to fit in were taken care of, Yagura respected and sympathized with our clan as well." Naruto was glad to hear that not all villages were against Jinchuuriki and happy his clan was well received.

"Madara had been overthrown from his position as Third Mizukage a few years after the war ended, the people had gotten tired of his constant campaigns of 'War against Konoha' and 'First Uzu then the World'; the people were ready for peace. After that, everything was peaceful..but it could never stay that way for long. Bitter over his loss of power, Madara played one final _trick_ on Kiri that would haunt the people for the rest of time."

"The Massacres." Naruto said, confirmed by a nod.

"By using his sharingan abilities, Madara somehow overcame the mental defenses Yagura had and controlled him as his own, or at least, this is what most conspiracy theorists believe. Sensing the people could be roused with a scapegoat of sorts, Madara began to wreak havoc on the everyday lives of Kiri citizens. Ninja patrols would 'disappear', boats would be sunk at sea or in harbor, buildings would be destroyed; these little things added up to create much apprehension in the civilians. Having his excuse, the controlled Yagura told everyone that the Uzumaki were the cause of the problems, still angry over the loss of their war against Kiri. Word spread around and eventually all bloodline clans were hated, the members verbally or sometimes physically assaulted whenever they walked the streets, it was madness." Naruto was shocked, how could something like that happen so quickly.

"But Mei, if Yagura was known to be benevolent and a supporter of the Uzumaki, wouldn't someone have gotten suspicious of his new behavior?" Mei smiled a bit at Naruto's intuition but shook her head.

"The clans noticed, it was quite obvious something was off with the Mizukage but the commoners would not listen to reason. The simpletons had seen all they needed to see so far in Yagura's 'Golden Age' that they were willing to listen to _anything_ he said when it came to conflict, and we became the victims of a cruel Uchiha exile. Eventually Yagura came out with the simple rules of engagement, 'You leave your compound, your safety isn't guaranteed'..that's how...how.." Naruto tightened his grip on Mei when she began to shake and sob uncontrollably, her tears strolling down her cheek in droves.

"That's how..mother died! All she did was go and get groceries, _groceries_ and they cut her down like she was an ANIMAL! The Kiri shinobi were monsters, laughing at her as she tried to crawl back towards the safety of the compound gates. Their kunai and fists were slick with Uzumaki blood and no one was going to do anything about it! My father told me to wait in my room while he went down and gathered my dying mother in his arms before forever closing the compound gate, not allowing anyone else to leave. She..she wasn't even able to say goodbye..I wasn't! Damn Madara! Damn _him_!" Naruto just held onto her, whispering quiet encouragement into her ear trying to calm the woman down.

"I"m..so sorry Mei-hime." He petted her hair, moving his hand through the long red locks.

"I'm..sorry. I thought I had gotten over my anger but I suppose there was still some there hehe." She tried to joke but just sighed from the sad attempt. "Well..after my mother passed away, my father became increasingly irritable towards outsiders and outright refused to meet with anyone to solve the Massacre problem. He was afraid of losing someone again, no one could go through it a second time. He began to teach me self defense and simple shinobi arts, he said it was so I could protect myself. At first, I had been so adamant against it that I threatened to run away but..then he _slapped_ me. Told me that if I continued living in a dream, a pacifist's world in _my_ situation that I would not live very long. So that was how he convinced me to start on the path of reaching Mizukage." Naruto smiled a bit at that, glad that she had agreed to learn to be a shinobi.

"Actually, if he had not taught me how to fight, I would not be alive any longer. For when the Massacres reached their zenith, Yagura implemented the most bloody and dangerous act of his entire reign, the Bloodline Purge. This was when the Massacre truly became a massacre, the Mizukage organized the Kiri hunter groups and gave them a clan; they were to use _any_ resources necessary to eliminate their particular clan target. At this point, people were finally starting to sympathize with us and many called for an end for the killings but they went unheard of by Yagura whose only focus was finishing off the clans. After the Kaguya clan decided to wage war on all of Kiri instead of just the ninja corps, we lost all support from normal citizenry. When the Hunter ninja finally arrived at our estate, my father turned into a..a machine."

"I had never seen him so _focused_, he was yelling out orders and taking charge of the entire situation. He led the men against the hunters at the gates while the women and children fled to the lower levels the estate, well hidden and built since the troubles had first began. Since I had ninja training, I was one of the group's escorts, protecting them from any hunter that might get past. And of course, it was my luck that one _did_ get past. It was the first time I had fought someone else with the intention of killing me, and it was the first time I..killed someone." Mei whispered the last sentence quietly, leaving an ominous setting to the conversation.

"What happened?" Naruto was curious.

"He..came out of a wall and elbowed me right in the face. I fell backwards and stumbled into a wall, leaving myself completely vulnerable. Some of the braver escorts came to my aid and battled the hunter but in the confined space it was no use and they were quickly cut down. I ordered all the women and children to continue to run to the shelter and stood defiant in the hunter's path, I would die before he took a step in their direction. Forming the appropriate hand sign, I remembered my father's lesson on Boil release to which until that day I had too much trouble understanding it and had yet to complete the acidic mist technique. Praying to every god I knew, I launched the mist out of my mouth and in panic turned the acidity up as high as I could manage."

"At first, the man believed I had done nothing and continued to stalk towards me. Soon after the jutsu had been brought forth however was when he finally released something was wrong, he was _losing, dying_. I watched with an odd sense of satisfaction as he melted right before my eyes, I will never get his screams nor the way his mask painfully melded with his face as he just turned into.._goo_." Naruto was a bit unnerved by her way of describing his death but just accepted the fact that he had done the same to others as well.

"Following that encounter, I continued on to try and catch up with the others when I felt the earth begin to shake. At first I believed it to be a symptom of the battle above me and continued on, but then I realized that the tremors were getting stronger and stronger the more I approached the underground shelter. Arriving at the door, I found it thrown off of it's hinges and began to panic, fearing the worst. Entering the room was the last thing I should have done, but I had to know..had to know that there was nothing I could have done."

"They..died?" Naruto asked, completely surprised by the outcome. Mei didn't say anything, instead she shifted uncomfortably in his grasp.

"They had been slaughtered, _every single one of them_. Not even the children had been spared from that..that bastard! Madara Uchiha himself was the one who finished off the Terumi branch, I saw him with my own eyes. He stood in the middle of them all, their faces looking at him with surprise and fear but he only looked at me with a smile. He said nothing and the only thing I remembered past that was a flash of his sharingan activating and nothing. When I awoke, I was in another clan's care, one that had been mysteriously spared, no doubt because of their non-existent bloodline. They told me my entire family had perished in the slaughter and that I was the only one left. From that day onward, I promised myself that I would not ever again show weakness on my part and dove into my personal training of becoming a kunoichi. Since that day..I have been alone."

"You aren't anymore Mei, you have me remember?" Mei looked up into his blue eyes and smiled, nodding to herself.

"You're right, I _do_ have you. And in the end, that's all I ever wanted. You were a gift from above, with you my life has been given new meaning and I now have a purpose." The two lovers kissed, sealing their trust in one another.

Getting up, Mei stretched out her aching back and turned around to see Naruto doing the same. Feeling her stomach growl, Mei decided to ask Naruto about Konoha's restaurants.

"So Naruto..is there anything good to eat around here?" Naruto looked at Mei curiously before tapping his chin in thought.

_'Duh! How could I ever forget?'_

Snapping his fingers, Naruto wickedly smiled and rubbed his hands together already imagining his wonderful meal of hot, steaming ramen.

"I know just the place, Mei-hime."

-

_Konoha, Ichiraku Ramen_

"Ayame-neechan! Teuchi-san! I need ten bowls of pork ramen and a nice bowl of shrimp ramen for the lady!" The couple walked into the stand hand in hand and Naruto was practically dying to have some good Ichiraku ramen.

Suddenly a ladle hit him on the head and he fell to the ground with a big bruise on his head, courtesy of a pissed off Ayame. Mei tended to her fiance and openly glared at the young woman who looked down at them with little pity.

"Only Naruto-kun can call me that so don't even bother, it's because of monsters like you that he left!" Naruto slowly stood up with Mei's help smiled at Ayame who was finally taking in his appearance.

"You already forgot what I look like Ayame-neechan?" Her eyes widened when she realized that this _was_ Naruto in the flesh, not some impostor trying to play a mean trick. Leaping over the counter, she brought Naruto into a loving hug and cried into his chest; the action surprised the blond.

"Naruto! Where..where did you go?! I thought..I thought we..lost you forever! Don't do it again or else you'll get worse than the ladle, understand?" Naruto just nodded and patted the crying girl on the back.

"Hey, just because I live in another village doesn't mean I can't come and visit..in fact." Naruto took off one of his gloves and pressed his hand on the stool he had sat in every time he had eaten there. Ayame was confused until she saw a seal slip off his hand and attach itself to the stool, disappearing soon after. "Now I can come visit anytime for a nice meal of ramen, how does that sound?"

"It sounds great..now then time for that order!" Ayame happily went back around the counter and began fixing his food while humming a happy tune.

Mei sat down on the stool next to Naruto and smiled at him, making him look at her curiously.

"What is it, Mei-hime?" Ayame looked up from her work, curious as to the _affectionate_ nickname.

"Oh nothing, Naruto-kun..just wondering why you were so touchy and feely with Ayame-chan here." Naruto gulped as he noticed the ominous tone of Mei's voice and her widening smile, he was on the fence right now.

"..Um, I used to eat here all the time when I was young. Ayame and her old man became the only family I really had, I can only imagine how much it hurt when I just disappeared on them. You don't have to worry about me being with other girls, you are my only one Mei-hime, I promise." Mei just kept smiling and took his hand in her own, idly playing with his fingers while waiting for their meal.

"That's good because if you did bring another girl home..I would have to _melt_ her and your _balls_. Understood Naruto?" Naruto nodded vigorously and Ayame ducked her head down further behind the counter, now trying to get the thought of dating Naruto out of her mind.

_'Dammit, the good ones are always taken. He may have been a shorty when he was young but he was always cute, and now that he's back he has a damn girlfriend. Tch.'_

"Eat up Naruto!" Mei and Naruto received their meals and began to dig in while Ayame just watched them and joined in on their small talk.

"Hey Ayame, where is the old man?" Ayame set her washcloth down and fixed her messy hair, trying to smooth it back down.

"He's out sick today, probably just felt lazy or something. I'm here alone for right now until we close up at around 4:00." Naruto frowned a bit, he wanted to announce the marriage with him being here but now it wasn't going to happen.

"Well.." Naruto reached into his bag and fished out a card, a _wedding_ invitation. "Mei-hime and I have been working on cards for our wedding so can you give this to him when he gets back? I'd like both of you to attend, it would be a great honor."

Ayame nodded and took the invitation, her brain not yet registering what had just been said. Naruto paid for the two of them and they both left for a little bit more exploring of Konoha before they decided to leave.

"Yeah..sure I'll give this to him." Ayame mumbled to herself, placing the invitation on a clean spot on the counter. Getting ready to wash the dishes, her brain finally caught up with Naruto's last words and her mouth started stuttering silent syllables of surprise.

"W..W..WEDDING?!"

-

_Konoha,_ _Abandoned Residential District_

Naruto and Mei walked up a series of staircases to get to Naruto's old apartment, he was amazed it still stood. Actually, he really didn't want to come back and reopen the old wounds but Mei insisted that she see _all_ his past; so here they were.

"Here we are. This is my old apartment building, I wonder if anything has changed." Naruto said quietly, enraptured by returning to his roots. Looking over to Mei, he saw her staring at the door with _horrified_ eyes, her hands visibly shaking.

Confused, Naruto looked back at the door they were in front of and examined it more closely and upon doing so found his mistake. After putting up with the abuse and hatred of the villagers for so long, he had gained the ability of tuning out their harsh actions and words against him; Mei had no such defense. His door was littered with graffiti writing and pocket marked with holes and burn marks, the hateful things said about him obviously roused Mei's sadness and anger.

"I'm sorry..I had hoped you wouldn't have to see something like this." Naruto sadly admitted, however he knew that this was something he had to revisit to finally move on.

"They..they really mean all these things? 'Dead demon', 'The Nine Tails is dead', they really..believed you were the monster?" Mei asked quietly, seeming to be in denial of Konoha's actions.

"..Yes." Was all Naruto said, it was all he _could_ say. If he were a few years younger and had never left Konoha, he would blatantly deny the villager's involvement and just blame it on 'traveling vandals' or something. But not anymore, he could not lie to himself or Mei about something like this, it was the sad truth.

"I..can't believe it. How could they..be so cruel?"

"..They were afraid. Few knew of what the Yondaime did to defeat Kyuubi and even fewer truly knew how the seal worked. They all believed I was the Kyuubi in human form and..I was hated for it." Mei looked at him with such sadness..even pity.

"I don't want your pity Mei, what happened has happened. It's best that we both just accept it and move on." Naruto announced rather harshly, pushing open what was left of the door and striding into his old apartment. Mei calmed herself and realized just what Naruto had said, it was true that she felt sorry for Naruto, who couldn't.

_'He has grown so much since then, but inside, he still is the lonely little boy. I have to be there for him as he was for me.'_

Walking into the apartment, both took notice that all the inside was marked with soot and charred remains of furniture still remained, they had burned the inside of his apartment as if it was _tainted_. Naruto once again thanked his younger self for taking all of his belongings with him as he sifted through what was left, trying to remember where everything once was.

"I never really had anything special, everything that was important to me I brought along. This was where the couch was..my bed was right in there and it's also where I found most of my parent's inheritance. Wow..I really don't like being here, it just feels so..awkward. I feel like I just got pulled back to a place that I tried so hard to escape from. I don't know, maybe I'm just going crazy or something." Mei walked up to him and held his face with both of her hands cupping his cheeks, she smiled softly at his sad attempt of denying his feelings.

"Naruto..you don't have to lie to me or yourself. Just like I did not want to talk of the Massacres, _you_ do not want to talk about your past, you don't want to relive it. I'm here for you, we trust one another with these things, you can cry with me and I can shoulder your burden just as you have done the same for me. What you said is right, I am no longer alone..and neither are you."

Naruto just wanted to deny the ugly truth of her statement, say he was fine and that he thought it was time they left. But, he just couldn't, he didn't want to keep living with the feelings he had whenever he thought of his past in Konoha.

"I..I.." Naruto couldn't think of how to start, he didn't know what to say.

_'Is this how Mei felt?'_

"Start from the beginning Naruto, I will listen to your story."

And so Naruto did tell her his past, and she listened. She listened when no one else would.

-

_Konoha Forest_

"You all know the mission and details right?" Yamato asked his two subordinates, Sai and Sakura.

Both nodded, their mission brief back in Konoha illuminated what the plan was. They were to head to River Country through Grass and inspect the suspected area of where Naruto first fought the Akatsuki and to try and recover any further evidence that could improve relations with Kiri and Konoha.

Tsunade wished to form an alliance with Mei's country but Kiri's hesitation was understandable. They needed something tangible to truly strike a deal with Water country and their mission was imperative to the nation of Fire.

-

_Konoha, Village Gate_

After a heartfelt day where both lover's entrusted not just their minds but emotions to one another, the two shinobi were ready to go back home and take a nice bath back at the estate. Tsunade stood alongside Kakashi to say goodbye to the two, wishing them well on their travels.

"See ya baa-chan! I'll be back next month for sure!" Naruto called over his shoulder as he began to walk away, waiting for Mei to finish her goodbyes.

Seeing she was being left behind, Mei sufficed with a simple wave and ran to catch up to Naruto. They began to jump through the trees intent on arriving in Kiri as quickly as possible. Their trip was silent and peaceful as the sun descended below the horizon, but things were becoming very loud in Kiri.

-

_Kirigakure, Prison_

Kyo sat in a room that he had been dragged off to by the burly guards, apparently someone wanted to see him. He had thought they had forgotten about him after the Mizukage had him tried and arrested, she was a true tyrant. If only the people could see that Yagura was right in killing off the Uzumaki and the clans then..then.

His thoughts were interrupted when the person that called the meeting entered, his eyes widened a bit in surprise when he saw it to be one of fellow councilmen. He sat on the other side of a table from Kyo, as directed by the guards.

"What do you want? Why have you come here, to laugh? To tell me that the Mizukage was right to imprison me and that you are working on having me executed just because I spoke the truth?" He raised his voice slowly throughout his rant, finishing it by slamming his fists onto the table in anger. The guards moved to control him but the other councilman just waved them off.

"No..I came here to ask for your help. We are becoming what we no longer wished to be and it is because of the people in charge that this has happened. All I ask is that when you are released, you promise to help us." Kyo was intrigued but suspicious of the vague offer, what exactly was the man trying to get at?

"Speak plain, what kind of help?"

"Help _rectifying_ the problem of course."

-

_Ame Country, Outskirts_

Danzo and his men had arrived at the designated meeting spot, sitting in the rain with no sight of their informant. They were to meet the 'Leader' of Akatsuki apparently and try to get into a contract or alliance as he had with Orochimaru before.

"Sir, are you sure he is coming?"

Danzo looked to the man who asked with veiled annoyance, patience was lost on the younger generation; even his ROOT were not immune to it.

"Yes, have patience. He should be-" Danzo was interrupted when a masked man in an Akatsuki robe arrived in front of them, causing the ROOT to form a defensive formation around their leader.

"Danzo, you have a lot of nerve trying to contact me. If Pain had come in my place, you would be dead; you are a lucky man. Now, what the hell do you want?" The masked man asked, speaking very plainly with the Konoha runaway.

"I wish to strike an alliance with-" He was once again interrupted by a fit of laughter from the man in front of him, causing his anger and his men's level of tolerance to rise.

"Show respect to Danzo-sa-" A root operative was stopped from yelling when he was backhanded by an irate 'Tobi'.

"Maybe you should learn that there are others that need respect _more_ than your Danzo-sama." He turned to face Danzo, completely unreadable behind the orange mask.

"Now what could you give me a reason to listen to you and your alliance talk." Danzo smiled a bit.

"I can help you get the Jinchuuriki, the Nine Tails."

-

_Konoha Forest_

Naruto was jumping through the trees, followed closely by Mei. As soon as he hit the next branch with his feet, he gripped his head from a sudden feeling of a duel 'alertness'.

_'Someone threw one of my kunai, but who?'_

Mei noticed Naruto was no longer moving and went to his side, moving her hand to his temple and gently rubbing it.

"What is it Naruto? A bad headache?" She teased, not knowing that something was very seriously wrong.

"It..someone threw my kunai, someone is in trouble. I have to go Mei-hime!" Mei was unable to say anything more when he quickly made a shadow clone and disappeared in a yellow flash.

Mei looked at the shadow clone, confusion evident in her gaze to it. The Naruto clone shrugged and scratched his head nervously, not sure of what to say.

"Boss gave me the order of getting you back to Kiri unharmed, and that's what I plan on doing. Let's go Mei-hime." Mei hesitantly allowed herself to be led away by the clone, now having lost her Naruto so soon a second time.

_'Please..please come back to me Naruto.'_

-

_Grass Country, Forest Clearing_

Naruto arrived in a bright yellow flash, his broadsword in his hands and ready to fight. He looked up and saw a tree, his kunai imbedded _deep_ within it, as if someone threw it from desperation. He looked around but saw no one, the battle had obviously been here however; the ground was marked with holes and craters while numerous trees were knocked down.

Hearing the faint sounds of battle, Naruto began to run towards the sound of battle. Jumping through the trees, he felt the earth shake again and looked up to see a large explosion of smoke and ash push up into the sky. Forcing himself to move quicker, he decided that it must be Sakura who had called for him and not Gaara.

Jumping past the last tree, Naruto came across the scene of battle and his focus was first brought to the pink head of Sakura. She was on the ground, beaten and bloodied by someone and her mouth and eyes were wide open in terror towards someone Naruto was not looking at. Yamato was panting heavily while holding his side, also looking in the same direction with anger. Finally swiveling his head towards the fight, Naruto's eyes widened when he saw the perpetrator of the damage.

Sai was impaled on a long katana, the weapon was being wielded by none other than the missing member of Team 7, Sasuke Uchiha. His face was emotionless while Sai's was one of surprise, Orochimaru and Kabuto stood off to the side both were full of glee and smirking at the carnage.

Sasuke looked up to the tree where Naruto stood and his eyes widened ever so slightly at the sight of his Kiri jounin attire, not exactly understanding what was going on.

"Naruto.." He said without emotion, it made everyone look up to the tree. Sakura could not smile but she her eyes told everyone of her joy to see Naruto, silently whispering his name.

"Sasuke.." Naruto's body began to tremble with emotion, his muscles flexed in anticipation.

-

Done! I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and all the little asides with Danzo and Kiri's Danzo-like guy Kyo. What is happening in Kiri, what will Tobi and Danzo do to get Naruto and more importantly how will the reuniting of Team 7 go for Naruto and Sasuke.

Tune in next time.

Peace


	14. Rivals Collide, Four Tails to the Rescue

Uzumaki Clan's Rebirth

Chapter 14

Arch Rivals Collide, Four Tails to the Rescue!

**Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO!**

"speaking"

_'thinking'_

"**Jutsu**"

**"Tailed Beast Speak"**

NaruxMei

**BLOODLINE WARNING**: Naruto uses **Lava** and **Boil** Release in this story. He has three elements in total because of his bloodlimit, Fire, Water, and Earth.

**Make sure to check my profile for a new poll!**

-

_Grass Country, Forest Clearing_

"Naruto.." The two rivals could see no one but each other, one was curious while the other was silently fuming.

"Sasuke." The blond simply noted, not bothering to honor the traitor with conversation.

Not being able to take it any more, Sakura got to her feet and ran towards Naruto.

"Naruto-kun!" Her tears were stinging reminders of just what Sasuke had put her through here.

_'Naruto-kun? This is different.'_ Sasuke thought to himself, curious as to what happened while he was away.

Naruto caught Sakura and hugged her, bringing the medic close to him in an effort comfort and protect her.

"It's alright Sakura, I'm going to get you out of here." Without another word, Naruto created two shadow clones and had both escort Yamato and Sakura away from the battlefield.

"But..wait Naruto! I thought that you were-" The pink haired girl was cut off when Yamato knocked her out with a small hit to the back of her neck, silencing her pleas.

"Good luck Naruto, I believe this is your fight more than anyone else." The wood user said before he disappeared with the two shadow clones and an unconscious Sakura.

Sai began to melt into an inky substance, leaving Sasuke to have a free sword to fight with. Naruto could only guess that Sai was able to get away and now it would be his fight alone with the three.

"Haha! This is quite an interesting turn of events..Kabuto? Would you be a dear and go stop the leaf shinobi from getting away, we can't let anyone find out of our activities here." Kabuto nodded and before Naruto could move to stop him, disappeared from sight.

"Damn.." Naruto muttered, he would have to make this fight quick so he could go help the leaf shinobi.

"And now I think I will let you two fight it out. I will be back at our hideout Sasuke, return when you have defeated the..annoyance." Sasuke just snorted before wiping his blade clean of the remaining ink that still contaminated the sword. Orochimaru then disappeared into the forest, something Naruto was silently thankful for.

"Before this one-sided battle starts, why don't you tell me why you wear a Kiri uniform? Did you start worshiping that weakling Zabuza after I left, because that sword looks like a complete rip off." Sasuke taunted Naruto who was keeping his anger in check..barely.

"No, actually I left Konoha for Kiri." Sasuke's eyes widened a bit at that, that had been his first guess actually.

"What a hypocrite, you tell me that you would never betray Konoha like I did and now look at you, an enemy of our old comrades. I suppose you intend to bring me back, at least for Sakura's sake?" Naruto began to smirk at that, his hands shifting the blade around in his palms.

"No, I've known for a long time that you were beyond saving. I intend to rid the world of the blight that is..the Uchiha!" Naruto shunshined forward, closing their distance in less than a second.

Sasuke brought up his katana to block the aggressive slice, sparks flew as the two swords impacted. Naruto's mouth began to build up as if he was breathing in air and Sasuke knew that he was about to try something. His Sharingan whirling as he tracked Naruto's chakra, the bluenette avoided the would be head shot from the blond's lava bullet.

_'Lava? What is this from?'_

"Where the hell did you learn something like that, dobe?" Sasuke ground out, lightly panting from his quick sidestep of the attack.

Naruto dug his greatsword out of the ground where it had landed from Sasuke's sudden dislodge from their fight. He prepared himself in another aggressive sword stance and glared at his old teammate.

"Uzumaki bloodline, something you will never have _or _learn with those infernal eyes." Sasuke's eyes narrowed at the boy's insult of his clan's kekkei genkai, even _insinuating _that his own blood trait was better than _his own!_

"What are you trying to say, huh Naruto? Are you telling me that you bloodline is better than mine?" Naruto smirked, slamming his sword into the ground before going through a series of hand signs.

"That's _exactly_ what I'm telling you Uchiha! A spoiled brat like you could never fully realize the real potential of your bloodline and use it for a good cause, but not everyone's perfect I suppose.."

_'What series of hand signs is this? I've never seen some of these hand seals in combination before, can my sharingan really **not** copy this?!'_

"Lets see that wonderful sharingan of yours track this, **Lava Release:** **Crimson Precipitation!**" Naruto slammed both his hands onto the ground and Sasuke could feel a large tremor that threatened to break his bones if he stood on the ground any longer.

From the ground shot geysers of hot magma, the spurts of molasses fire shot into the air and formed dangerous raindrops of flames that fell on the battlefield. Naruto stood amongst the worst of the 'red rain', the thick precipitation harmlessly touching his person and dripping down to the ground only to melt the dirt at the blond's feet.

Sasuke dropped from the tree he had jumped to as it burst into flames, moving through the cover of the treeline and doing his best to dodge the dangerous attack. Even with his great speed and sharingan abilities, Sasuke could not deflect all of the droplets and soon his entire outfit was littered with holes and burn marks.

Naruto broke into a run to finish the troubled Uchiha and threw a three-pronged kunai at Sasuke, who was easily able to dodge the large object compared to Naruto's jutsu. However, before he knew what was happening, his arms had been pulled behind his back and his sword arm was forced to release his katana. Now unable to move, Sasuke was pelted with the lava which began to agonizingly melt the young avenger.

Sensing no other way out of his predicament, Sasuke willed the curse mark to appear and allowed the new skin and appendages to form over his body; it gave him some relief and a shield from the rain. Naruto had not seen this before and immediately released Sasuke _but_ not before using the gathered chakra in his foot to take hold of Sasuke's katana and flinging it away from their fight. The sword was impaled into a tree leaving Sasuke even further down hill in the admittedly one sided battle.

"Damn you! It's time to really begin this fight Naruto!" Sasuke went through a few quick hand signs before grasping his wrist, a familiar sound of chirping birds was heard from the collection of white chakra. Naruto remembered the technique and gathered up his own for a rasengan, charging towards the other teen who was apparently still building up his attack.

_'Still fueled by emotions Sasuke? I had hoped you would learn to not rely on the curse mark but I suppose it was inevitable.'_

Sasuke charged towards the blond but did not reach out his hand to meet Naruto's attack, instead _moving_ _under _Naruto's outstretched hand and making a dash for his katana. Naruto stumbled forward and turned his head to find Sasuke about to reach his sword, the rain no longer affecting his mobility.

"Looks like I'll have to try something else." Naruto said to himself as he went through a sequence of hand signs, his lungs taking in a deep breathe.

"**Fire Release: Combustion Ash Cloud!**" A smog of ash came out of Naruto's opened mouth and flooded the area in front of him, hiding Sasuke in the fog.

Naruto clicked his teeth just as Sasuke grabbed his sword, freeing it from the tree as if it was a knife cutting through butter. The explosion enveloped the cloud in front of Naruto who stood undaunted by the large heat release.

Just as he had thought Sasuke was dead, a small log came flying out of the smoke revealing to Naruto that he had not defeated the other teen yet.

_'Damn, Substitution!'_

Feeling an incoming presence, Naruto twisted his sword arm and parried a lightning-quick strike from Sasuke who appeared behind him; his katana had been aimed right at Naruto's kidney. Both were shaking from the sheer brunt of power they were deflecting from one another and both were glaring at the other with thoughts on what it would take to kill the other.

Sasuke's eyes widened when his sword at first failed to break through Naruto's own, he knew that even large swords were mere appetizers to lightning enhanced weapons. He was tired and damaged from the fight but it could not stop his fear when his sharingan saw multiple glyphs and seals light up on Naruto's sword as his own chakra faded away.

_'Containment seals? Where the hell did he learn these techniques?!'_

Jumping away from his enemy, Sasuke prepared one last attack for Naruto as did he. Sasuke made the largest chidori he could muster and Naruto created two, remembering his last encounter with Sasuke at the Valley of the End.

"Naruto!"

"Sasuke!"

Building up an unnoticeable chakra cloak from Kyuubi's power, Naruto was confident in his attack and launched himself towards his rival. Sasuke also charged with chidori, confident that even with the previous actions of the fight that he could still beat Naruto.

Naruto slammed his first rasengan into Sasuke's chidori before launching the second quickly at Sasuke's stomach, successfully hitting the boy. Naruto's first rasengan was blasted straight through by Sasuke's chidori and the attack grazed the blond's left shoulder. The shock wave of the blasts and attacks sent both combatants lurching backwards through the forest, landing very far from each other.

Naruto impacted a tree, hard. His body almost went completely through it before he slowly slumped into unconsciousness from the sheer force of the move. Sasuke went through a tree and landed on the banks of a river, slowly sliding further into the murky water to where he would assuredly drown in his sleeping state.

A red haired elderly man came across the smoking body of Naruto and picked the boy up over his shoulder. He turned around to look in the direction of where the battle took place and where Sasuke had been shot towards, he then glanced up to see the seemingly endless red rain taper off.

_'Yonbi, are you sure this is the one?'_

"**Yes Roshi, this boy is the one that used the Lava Release. He also contains my brother, the Kyuubi, looks like he might need a little help. Hahaha!"** A loud, boisterous voice boomed in the older man's head, sounding mighty yet wizened.

The Iwa nin shrugged and began to walk off towards the nearby cave that had sheltered him the past few days, wondering if his life was about to get a little _too_ exciting.

-

_Kirigakure, Uzumaki-Terumi Estate_

Mei awoke from her slumber that she had been in since she had arrived yesterday, feeling relieved but somewhat..queasy. Rubbing her stomach in an effort to calm it down, she felt the sudden urge to puke and ran for the bathroom where she released her non-existent breakfast. Wiping her mouth with a towel and placing it in the washer, Mei wracked her brain as to why for the past few days she had been feeling so sick in the morning.

_'Well, I did visit another country. Maybe there was a disease there that I contracted, dirty Fire civilians probably.'_

Mei scoffed at the thought, Naruto would have gotten sick as well or at least she hoped.

She had little trouble once she had arrived back from Konoha after a week, the people had not noticed and the council was strangely quiet about her unexpected leave. She had justified it as looking out for a fellow Kiri shinobi but even so, she had expected the council to put up _some _fuss.

_'Oh well, maybe they are finally realizing that I can be a leader and just giving me free reign to do my duty.'_

Finishing with her wardrobe for today, Mei walked down the steps to the front door and passed by the guards at the gate. She decided that she would go to the doctor to make sure that there was nothing wrong and that she could continue her job without fail.

Arriving at the tall, spiral-shaped building with a medical cross imprinted at the top of it's white length, Mei walked in and found the place to be quiet. The receptionist immediately realized her rank and had her go to a room already prepared and alerted the Mizukage that a doctor was on her way.

Sitting in the room was boring but gave Mei more time to ponder just what it could be that ailed her so much. The doctor, a red haired woman with grey eyes, soon walked through the door and greeted the Mizukage with an informal bow.

"Hello Mizukage-sama, what brings you to the clinic today?" Mei smiled and told the woman of her nauseous feelings and also how she commonly had felt more fatigued than usual.

"I'm not sure what it could be, although I do have a guess.." She didn't even want to say what she thought, the idea was too absurd. The doctor smiled and went through a few hand signs, her hands began to glow a faint green and they glided over Mei's skin with practiced precision.

Mei absently noted that the hands lingered a few more seconds than usual over her stomach, something that brought her closer to the 'impossible' alternative. The doctor was barely able to keep back a smirk as she pulled away, her face was unreadable which only unnerved Mei even more.

"Well doctor? Did you find what was wrong?"

"From what I can tell, you are physically healthy. Everything checks out as normal and in theory there is nothing that should make you feel this way except.." The doctor paused for a teasing dramatic effect.

"Except..?" Mei repeated, getting tired of the game.

"Mizukage-sama, I am happy to tell you that you are pregnant. Congratulations!" Mei's eyes widened and her mouth gaped open, she was _pregnant_?!

"Pregnant...do you..mean that?" She asked quietly, the doctor stopped smiling as if she said something wrong.

"Um yes, I can sense another being's chakra signature growing within you. There was..a small anomaly with the chakra but nothing serious, you do have a child ma'am. Is..that alright?" Mei moved her shaking hands to her belly, slowly rubbing the place where her and Naruto's child was growing.

Mei looked up at the nervous doctor and smiled brightly, her eyes closed from the sheer intensity of happiness she was feeling.

"Yes, I think that's just wonderful!"

-

_Grass Country, Cave_

Naruto awoke with a start, rising up out of the makeshift bed he had been laid on and already searching for his weapons. He sprung out of the bed covers and took in his surroundings, he immediately noticed that he was in a dark room with a small fire in the middle of it. There was a figure near the fire that appeared to be staring at him with curiosity and amusement in the gaze.

"Who are you!?" Naruto demanded, the last thing he remembered was slamming into a tree after his fight with Sasuke.

The unknown person slowly stood up and began to chuckle, holding up his hands in a mock defense of the crazed blond.

"Now now youngster-" The old man started, his gravely voice filled the room with a booming affect. "There is no need to overreact. I found you hurt in the forest and decided to help you out."

"Why would you do that? Better yet, how could you have survived my jutsu? Only an Uzumaki could-" The man's eyes widened a bit at the sound of 'Uzumaki' but otherwise his smile led Naruto to believe nothing had happened.

"Jinchuuriki have to stick together, right?" Naruto's eyes widened, this man was a jinchuuriki?

"What's your name? What biju do you contain?" Naruto's mind was working a mile a minute, trying to process the new information.

Roshi decided that it was time for introductions and slowly approached the blond before holding out his hand for a shake. The fire suddenly intensified it's ministrations and the entire cave was now illuminated so Naruto could see his face.

"My name is Roshi and I contain the Four Tailed Monkey. And you are?" Naruto blushed out of embarrassment, he had been so caught up in surprise he had forgotten his manners.

"..I'm sorry-" Naruto shook the older man's hand "My name is Uzumaki Naruto and I contain the Nine Tails, but I suppose you already knew that didn't you?" Roshi nodded, pointing to his stomach.

"Old Yonbi here told me where you were and we followed that Lava rain you created, nice move by the way. Don't know what happened to the other kid, but your shoulder was a bit beaten up after the last attack so I brought you here. You have been out for the past few hours, its pretty late in the afternoon now."

"**Dammit Roshi, stop calling me old. I may be stuck inside your old hide but that doesn't mean that you can just loop us together like that. Besides, I haven't encountered an Uzumaki for some time, the branch of monkeys that originate from me would rejoice to know there still are some left in the world."**

_'Yeah, Yeah..you're still much older than me anyways. I have the feeling there is more to this meeting you set up between us, what exactly are you getting at?'_

"**I want to speak with this boy, to discuss with him an ancient contract that has lain untouched for over thirty years."**

_'Ah, you mean the summoning contract? Thought you'd never break the damn thing out, about time is all I have to say.'_

"Naruto, my tailed beast would like to speak with you. Come over by the fire and sit down, I'll see if I can bring you into my mindscape." Naruto moved over to the fire and sat down, curious as to how Roshi was going to get him inside of his mind.

Roshi sat down across from him and went into deep concentration, his eyes closed and his hands clasped together. After a few moments, Roshi moved his hand and placed a finger over Naruto's forehead and established the link between the two.

"Now..relax your mind Naruto and follow the pull." He said quietly, instructing Naruto on the way to continue. Naruto closed his eyes and took a few deep breathes to calm himself and slowly began to feel a slight 'tug' on his mind and allowed it to take him to it's destination.

-

_Roshi's Mindscape_

Naruto appeared in a similar setting to his own mindscape, a sewer room with four large red pipes heading through the wall over the door in front of him. Waiting a moment to see if Roshi would join him, Naruto shrugged and walked up to the door and opened it but was amazed at what was behind it.

A large rain forest panned out in front of him, banana trees, ferns and other vegetation littered the landscape as far as the eye could see. Naruto looked up to see an actual sky and sun instead of the dark and dull sewer setting his own mind had. There were no other inhabitants or animal life as far as he could tell but there was a clear cut dirt path that he decided to follow to find the Yonbi.

Walking through the misty and humid greenery, Naruto could hear faint screeches and howls that almost sounded like calls of a monkey. He figured it was just some effect that Yonbi or Roshi added in to add to the atmosphere, he had really done a great job.

_'Man, if Kyuubi saw this he would practically have a temper tantrum. I wonder what his homeland looks like..maybe he is a native of Fire?'_

Nearing the end of the path, Naruto came across a large dirt clearing in what he guessed to be the middle of the forest and saw a red giant before him. The Yonbi sat with an enlarged banana that he was chomping on, his attention on it instead of the newly arrived Naruto. A representative image of Roshi was off to the side, waving slightly at Naruto to let him know that he was in the right spot.

"Ah Naruto, you have arrived. Did you enjoy the scenery, Yonbi described it very vividly and said it would be his cage or he would refuse to help me. _So_ easy to please this one is." The Yonbi threw what was left of the banana skin away and inclined his head to look at Naruto, something that could be considered a grin reached the large monkey's lips.

"**He should recognize it, this is what much of his home island's landscape looks like after all. Well..all the parts that don't have human cities over them anyways, even then the Uzumaki respected and coexisted with the flora and fauna and-"** The Yonbi continued to prattle on and on, losing track of the original thought.

Roshi just hiked a thumb over his shoulder towards the big beast and mocked him.

"You'll have to forgive the big guy, he is getting to that age.." The Yonbi awoke from his rant and snorted, having heard his containers jibe.

"**You reached that age long ago Roshi so don't speak so high and mighty! I mean really, monkeys and humans have totally different age spans, _biju_ and humans have different age spans! Who are you-"** Roshi kicked the large primate's leg which was able to get his attention, the older man glared at the beast.

"Hey, you are losing track of the entire point of the mind meld. Get on with talking to him about the summoning contract already!" The Yonbi scratched his head, slightly embarrassed.

"**Uh right, I was getting to it dammit! Naruto!"** The gorilla yelled at the blond who had somewhat lost most of his attention to the conversation. **"I would like to know how much you know of your ancestors and of your land. You appear to be a proud Uzumaki bloodline user at least, am I correct?"**

"Um..yes Yonbi-sa-" Naruto was interrupted when Yonbi burst out laughing, he held his gut in an attempt to stop laughing so hard.

"**There is no need to call me that, you have earned the right to simply call me Yonbi."** Roshi smirked, not wanting to miss the chance to poke fun.

"Or just 'big red' or maybe even 'monkey', they're great nicknames." Yonbi glared at his container.

"**Although Roshi still should refer to me as _Yonbi-sama_."**

Naruto wanted to laugh at the two's interaction, Kyuubi was not as lighthearted as his brother.

"**Go on Naruto, just ignore Roshi."**

"Well, I know little of my ancestors or the history of my clan unfortunately for I was not born on the home island or lived a life with my Uzumaki parent. I also have never have visited the home island however my fiancee and I plan on getting married there so I suppose I will get to see it soon." Yonbi appeared to ponder this, stroking the tuft of hair that covered his chin. Roshi stayed quiet as he leaned up against a tree.

"**Hm. You know little of your history and grew up without a mother? Only a true Uzumaki could continue from such adverse beginnings, good job lad! Now then, tell me what an infant's intentions like yours are?"** Naruto was confused.

"Um, Yonbi? What do you mean, intentions?" Yonbi growled a bit in frustration, beating a fist against his chest lightly to get his point across.

"**What you plan to do as an Uzumaki I mean, I haven't heard of any Uzumaki clan for quite some time or else I would have had my container march me there immediately!"** Roshi sighed.

"He would _try_ to make me go there, probably wouldn't happen though." The Yonbi scoffed and mumbled something about 'lazy old humans'.

"Well, actually my fiancee who also happens to be an Uzumaki has agreed to the idea of trying to bring back the Uzumaki. I haven't really made a concrete plan yet on how to do so but I hope one day to unite the clan and move back to Uzu island. I'm curious though, what is your link to the Uzumaki, Yonbi?" Yonbi chuckled at this.

"**I'm glad you asked boy, I was just getting around to it. Now as I'm sure you know, there are many species of monkeys and primates in the world. Some are normal fauna that are unable to interact with humans or their own chakra while others actively fight alongside humans as summons or sentient beings. The subspecies of monkey that inhabit your island of Uzu are indirect descendants of myself, making them sentient and with the ability to manipulate chakra. Before I was sealed away, the Uzumaki had made a pact with me that was a mutual agreement between our two species; We would fight alongside your clan and in turn your people would not destroy our land or kill any of us. Do you know what this pact is called?"** Naruto's eyes widened, could he mean?

"A..summoning contract?" He all but whispered, to much in doubt to really believe it.

Yonbi smiled, the boy was catching on.

"**Yes, a summoning contract. I have it right here, it has not been signed in over thirty years, now that is a long time and it has been very disconcerting for me. I always liked your clan, strong and respectful if not a bit old fashioned."** Roshi chuckled.

"Look who's talking."

"**Shut it Roshi!"**

"Wait, you mean that there really is a sub species of yourself?" Yonbi nodded, seemingly unfazed at how rare it could be.

"**Have you not heard of a monkey summon?"** Naruto nodded his head.

"The Third Hokage had signed a contract with the monkey king Enma-" Naruto was interrupted by a bellowing howl by the Yonbi followed by Roshi shaking his head.

"Just had to say it didn't you Naruto?" Naruto just looked at him confusedly and shrugged.

"**So that youngster is still ruling the other primates? Ha! _I _am the true and rightful king of all monkeys as I'm sure you can figure out quite easily, however, I chose to continue as a roaming biju instead of rule over the primates. Enma was selected as the primary king but my offspring never bowed to him, they could be considered excommunicated I suppose. No need to worry, my children are much stronger than anything Enma could offer you that much is for sure!"**

"Sir, if I may ask since I'm not sure on your specific powers, what are your offspring's special abilities they gained from you?" Yonbi smirked as did Roshi.

"Naruto, aren't you curious as to how I survived your lava rain?" Naruto scratched his head, he didn't really think about that part.

"I guess so..how?"

"**Isn't it obvious boy? My subspecies of monkey descendants as can myself use Lava Release! Who else taught your great, great, great, great ancestors?"** Naruto's eyes widened, the _monkeys_ were the ones who first introduced lava release to the Uzumaki?

"That's..amazing." Was all he could say, Yonbi smirked.

"**Yes it is, thank you very much. Sometimes I think Roshi takes his jinchuuriki abilities for granted."** It was Roshi's turn to snort at the comment.

"Getting back on topic, the summoning contract.." Roshi got the big ape back on topic.

"**Oh right, Naruto, would you like to continue the tradition all Uzumaki youth go through to sign the summoning contract?"** Naruto thought for a moment and then shrugged, why not?

"Yes, I would like to earn my right to summon your kind Yonbi!" He then bowed his head in respect to the towering beast who was looking at the blond human in amusement and wonder.

"**Now that's the spirit! I like this boy, I'm glad I told you to meet him Roshi!"**

"Yeah yeah, the challenge?" Roshi urged, seemingly used to the old monkey's off topic trends.

"**Yes well, Naruto, you must travel deep into the forest and climb up the highest tree you can and find the ikamuzu fruit. It is a native fruit to Uzu country and a delicacy for both our species. The fruit itself is a reddish-orange color and shaped vaguely like an apple, you will know when you find it. Now, the challenge should not be very difficult for you considering you are a trained shinobi and a wizened teenager. The test was mainly given to children when they were of age twelve and still academy students, it was much more of a challenge. Good luck Naruto, we will be right here waiting for you."**

Naruto played over the description of the fruit and nodded to himself in recognition. He waved off to the two and pushed through the treeline foliage in search for the rare fruit.

"How long do you think it will take him to find it?" Roshi and Yonbi watched as he left.

"**Less than five minutes, that boy is a natural Uzumaki. This stuff is child's play because of the blood running through his veins."** Roshi looked up into the gargantuan eyes of the primate and garnered a cocky smirk.

"I say over an hour, you ate so many of the damn things before he arrived it will take him forever to find it."

"**Hmph. We shall see, Roshi..and they were good. _Very_ good."**

-

_1 Hour Later_

Naruto collapsed onto the muddy ground in sheer exhaustion, the trek through the mind forest wasn't as productive as he had thought. The search for the ikamuzu fruit was a difficult one indeed because all Naruto saw was brown or green..and then more green. He had tried climbing up the trees but soon realized that it was impossible to use chakra and was forced to climb up the smooth trees with his bare hands which ultimately failed.

Sighing, Naruto looked up into the sky which was perpetually sunny and tried to think of a way to find the damn fruit. Feeling a bit of glare from the imaginary sun, Naruto shaded his eyes with his hand and looked to see a branch above him with a single fruit and it was _red_! Grinning with anticipation, Naruto sat up and jumped for the branch..only to realize that it was way too far out of his reach.

Frustrated, Naruto began to run up the tree and found a hand hold, slowly making his way up to the branch.

_'Wow, being a civilian must suck. Climbing trees without chakra..how primitive.'_

Finally reaching the branch, Naruto began to reach for the tantalizing prize. Halfway there, the branch began to wobble from the increased weight being placed on it and forcing Naruto to tighten his grip. Three quarters of the way on the branch was too much and it caused the entire thing to come crashing down to the ground, Naruto included.

Hitting the ground with a large thud, the last thing Naruto remembered was a red comet coming straight for his face and a lot of pain.

-

_1 Hour Later_

"So, does that count?" Naruto asked, nursing his broken nose and holding the bruised fruit with his hand. Roshi and Yonbi looked at one another and nodded, agreeing that it _did_ in fact count.

"Nice job Naruto, I knew you could do it."

"**Yes, now I believe it's time for you to sign the contract. Have you signed one before?"** Naruto nodded, he had signed the toad contract although he didn't know if it was still valid.

"**Which one if I may ask?"**

"The Toad contract."

"**The toads? An interesting choice.."** Yonbi seemed a bit amused by the strange choice but Naruto explained.

"My first mentor made me sign it when he trained me, about the only real technique he taught me." Yonbi nodded a bit.

"**Alright, just sign in blood right..here. Yes, perfect! That is some nice handwriting." **He uttered.

"Well that does it for the mind meld, anything else you would like to say, Oh great monkey king?" Yonbi growled again, not amused by the joke.

"**Hmph. Good luck Naruto, I hope to see you again soon! It was pleasure meeting the Uzumaki heir and I hope you bring both our people's glory back to greatness once again!"**

"I will Yonbi, I promise!"

-

_Grass Country, Cave_

Naruto awoke with a start, the fire had gone out and he could no longer see his surroundings. Getting up, Naruto started to make his way towards a dim light that shone through the cave and saw it to be the cave's mouth where Roshi stood. Naruto noted that the man's eyes were suspiciously shifting back and fourth, as if he were watching for something or someone. Noticing Naruto walk up, Roshi greeted the boy with an uneasy wave and a halfhearted smile.

"Well Naruto, I think you are all better. From what I remember, you said that you have a fiancee and I don't think she will like you waiting around forever now do you?" Naruto nodded, agreeing with that decision. The last time he had run off from Mei she had beaten him to a pulp in the hospital.

"Yeah I suppose you're right, I'll go get my gear and then I can leave." Naruto ran back into the cave and using a simple fire jutsu was able to illuminate the area and find his vest and pouches and his greatsword.

"Alright, I'm ready to head on back to Kiri. Oh, before I forget.." Naruto dug into his kunai pouch and handed a three-pronged kunai to Roshi who took it confusedly.

"The Yondaime Hokage's kunai? You must be his son, you look very much like him." Naruto nodded and smiled, scratching the back of his head.

"In case you are in trouble or Akatsuki comes your way, just throw the kunai into the ground or a tree and I'll come back." Roshi stiffened at the sound of Akatsuki but otherwise just nodded and smiled.

"Alright Naruto you better get going, I hope we get to meet again someday." Naruto was a bit curious as to why the old man was trying to get rid of him but played it off as him wanting to leave as well.

"See ya Roshi!" Naruto said with a wave before he disappeared in a yellow flash leaving Roshi to deal with the 'new arrivals'.

-

_Konoha _

"Hokage-sama, Team Kakashi has arrived at the gates. It looks like they came back empty handed." Shizune reported to an irate Tsunade.

"Damn, this complicates things." She quietly brooded until Yamato's group arrived in front of her for debriefing.

"Report." She ordered tersely.

"Ma'am, we have some news for you!"

-

_Grass Country_

"Ah, look here Itachi! The Four Tails is here and the Nine Tails just left, two beasts in the bag for us today." Kisame yelled out, the two had arrived in the clearing in front of the cave just after Naruto had left in a yellow flash. Roshi glared at the two and took a few steps forward, holding both hands in front of him in a defensive measure.

"You'll have to go through me before you get to Naruto." Itachi looked at Kisame and then back to Roshi.

"Now Kisame, we should take our time. I don't believe we will be able to catch up to Naruto so quickly, the jutsu he used is a very advanced one indeed." Kisame scoffed and took off Samehada from his back, preparing for battle.

"I call dibs on this one Itachi, just stand back and watch." Itachi just took a few steps back to allow the two fighters their dueling arena.

Roshi looked at the kunai in his hands, having an internal struggle with himself.

_'If I throw it, Naruto and I could try to defeat both of them together. If I don't, Naruto will live to fight another day and I will be taken and killed for my biju. I'm not sure if Naruto can handle these two, even with my and our biju's help, it might be best to just not call for help.'_

"**We must keep that boy alive, he has a destiny to fulfill, I could sense it!"**

_'You are pretty loyal to the Uzumaki aren't you Yonbi?'_

"**It's not just that, I think Naruto has a future, a future worth seeing."**

_'One you are willing to sacrifice yourself for?'_

"**Damn right I am willing! If we can break a few limbs on our way to hell."**

_'Then we are in agreement.'_

Taking one last look at the wonderful craftsmanship of the blade, Roshi threw it up into the air in front of his face and shot a single lava bullet at it, effectively destroying his 'distress beacon'.

_'By destroying it, I can stop Akatsuki from using it against Naruto.'_

"Huh, I wonder why he did that.." Kisame mumbled, not understanding the weapon or the jutsu behind it.

"Well are you ready then?" Roshi called out, pulling out his custom made curved kunai that he used.

Kisame smirked and started running towards the bearded man, intent on taking the delicious Four Tail's chakra.

Roshi smiled, even he knew he could not win this battle against the two opponents. He was buying time, time that gave Naruto a chance to escape.

_'Good luck Naruto, I know that you have a great future coming. I only wish I could live to see it.'_

-

_Kirigakure, Uzumaki-Terumi Estate_

Naruto arrived at the gate and had suddenly had an ominous feeling in his chest, as if something horrible just happened. Patting himself lightly, Naruto tried to get past the sinking feeling and opened the doors to his estate, the time being late evening in Kiri and his Mei should be home.

Looking in on the living room first, he saw Mei just sitting there and staring at her stomach. Confused as to why she was paying so much attention to it, Naruto knocked on the wall and got her attention towards him, she began to smile but she looked very hesitant.

"Hello Mei-hime, I'm home." He said simply, waiting to get chewed out by his fiancee.

"Hello Naruto-kun, welcome back." She replied, patting the couch next to her. Naruto gulped and went to sit down next to her, moving his arm over her shoulders and bringing her close for a kiss.

"Naruto, I have some news.." Naruto was intrigued, he looked into her eyes and saw them trembling.

"What's the news, did something happen while I was away?" She nodded, taking his hand and moved it over her stomach.

Confused by the action, Naruto tried tickling her and got a giggle before she slapped his hand playfully to stop.

"Naruto..I'm pregnant." His eyes widened, pregnant?!

"P..P..P..PREGNANT!?"

-

Done! I liked this chapter on how it was both really enlightening and funny and also very sad. I love Roshi and Yonbi even though they made only minor appearances in the story, the influence they have over Naruto will be everlasting and he will constantly refer to his time with Roshi in the future.

If you are trying to imagine the personality I took for Yonbi I thought of a tough viking-like king or something with the deep booming voice and stuff. I also had Roshi get captured because I didn't want Naruto to be able to save everyone you know, there has to be a little tragedy/sad part in the story too. Once he finds out, this will wake Naruto up to the real world where he will be reminded that he can't save all the jinchuuriki.

And yes, Mei is finally pregnant! You guys have been egging it on forever so I thought I would reveal that for you and leave off the discussion for next chapter between Naruto and Mei.

Last thing, Naruto has the Lava Monkey (My nickname) summoning contract! I can't remember the exact name of the reader but he was trying to guess what it would be and here it is! I really liked how I linked the Four Tails and the Uzu monkeys together along with describing what the Island actually looks like a bit more.

Review!


	15. New Parents, New Plan, Old Enemies!

Uzumaki Clan's Rebirth

Chapter 15

New Parents, New Plan, Old Enemies!

**Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO!**

"speaking"

_'thinking'_

"**Jutsu**"

**"Tailed Beast Speak"**

NaruxMei

**BLOODLINE WARNING**: Naruto uses **Lava** and **Boil** Release in this story. He has three elements in total because of his bloodlimit, Fire, Water, and Earth.

We are past the 100,000 mark in total amount of words woohoo! Sorry, Author had to have a moment.

I have chosen a gender and name for the child but I want you all to know that there will be _more_ children, this is just the first of many. So I want you all to love them all equally as they come along, okay? Good..

-

_Grass Country, River, Aftermath of Battle_

As Sasuke began to slip into the water, a trio of figures came out of the trees and jumped down. The apparent leader walked up to the ailing Uchiha and roughly pulled him up by the arm, eliciting a groan from the boy. Placing a glowing hand over his head, the man nodded to his two subordinates to which one of them moved a hand over their ear.

"Sir, the package has been taken. I repeat, the bargaining chip is ours. Orders?" The crackle of the radio quieted as the three waited for their superior to come back.

"Return to base immediately, Leader-sama is pleased." The one carrying Sasuke slung the teen over his shoulder and started off in a run towards their destination.

"Why does leader want this Uchiha? What is so special about the traitor?" One of the men asked, to which he was replied with a grunt.

"Hmph. The leader is an expert at diplomacy and is very clever, he obviously has a plan for this one and that strange masked man."

-

_Kirigakure, Uzumaki-Terumi Estate_

"P..P..P..PREGNANT?!" Naruto exclaimed, not believing what he was hearing.

Mei giggled a bit and nodded, pointing at her stomach where his hand still laid.

"Our baby is growing right inside of me, isn't it wonderful?" Naruto just went from looking at her to her stomach before putting his hand onto his forehead.

"Oh boy." And with that, our brave hero fainted, something which many young dads can attest to.

Mei just watched as her fiance slumped into the couch and wanted to break out laughing, not at all feeling worried. She knew that Naruto was happy, overjoyed even that they were having a baby, it was just a very big shock. Settling for laying the big blond down on the couch in a more comfortable position with his head on her lap, Mei was content with just waiting for him to wake up before they talked about the great news.

After some time, her Naruto began to awaken and she gave him some space as he collected himself. Looking over at the red head, Naruto tried to remember why he fainted in the first place and then he looked at her stomach and remembered. Mei was afraid he was going to faint again but started to smile when he hesitantly placed a hand over her stomach and began to rub it, tickling her a bit.

"Right..here?" Naruto asked, he received a nod.

"What do you think Naruto-kun? Are you..happy?" Naruto looked into her worried eyes and just smiled, placing his other hand on her cheek.

"Of course I am Mei-hime. I was just so surprised at the suddenness that it overloaded my brain. Do we know if it will be a boy or girl?" Mei shook her head.

"Too early to find out darling, we will just have to wait." Naruto didn't look disappointed as he just looked at her stomach.

"Eh, it doesn't matter. Boy or girl, both will be perfect with their mother's genes." Mei smiled and moved a hand to Naruto's face, rubbing his whiskers.

"Can't forget the fathers cuteness factor, if they have these whiskers I might just die." They both laughed at that, happy that they were getting another family member.

-

_Kirigakure, Uzumaki-Terumi Training Grounds_

Naruto stood in the middle of the field preparing for his 'first' summoning attempt of a Lava Monkey, all in all he was pretty excited. Going through the universal hand signs of summoning, Naruto slammed his bloodied hand onto the ground and watched with satisfaction as a sizable puff of smoke appeared.

"**Summoning Technique!**"

From the smoke came _two_ creatures, not one as Naruto was expecting. There stood a moderately sized Lava Monkey somewhat taller than Naruto himself, he stood with all four palms on the ground. Next to him appeared none other than Gamakichi who looked confused until he set his eyes on Naruto.

"Yo! Hey Naruto, its been forever since I saw you!" Naruto scratched the back of his head, confused.

"Uh..hi Gamakichi, what are you doing here?" Gamakichi looked at him as if he were an idiot.

"Because you summoned me, why else?" Naruto pointed to the irate Lava Monkey next to him to which Gamakichi gulped and took a few steps away from.

"Uzumaki-sama, may I ask why there is a toad here?" Naruto looked at the primate and found it in an interesting outfit. It had plate armor on it's arms and legs and the most important part was that an Uzu headband was around it's neck showing its only loyalty. It's appearance was that of a tiny Yonbi without the four tails, only a single one was behind it.

"Toads were my first summon although I'm just as confused as how I was able to summon both of you at the same time." The monkey seemed to ponder this while Gamakichi was beyond confused.

"Naruto, how did you get another summons?" Naruto pointed at the Lava Monkey.

"This is a Lava Monkey, the loyal Uzumaki Clan summons and I came across their boss who gave me the contract." The Lava monkey stopped thinking and looked at Naruto, practically going crazy with anxiousness.

"You met our leader, Yonbi-sama?!" Naruto nodded.

"How is he?! Is he okay?!"

"Uh..yeah?" The Lava Monkey seemed to calm down and wiped some sweat off his brow.

"That's good, we haven't had any contact with him for so long. I think it's been over 50 years since we last had fought alongside him."

"Well, I need to work this out so how are we going to prevent a double summoning from happening again?" Gamakichi looked at the Monkey and they both nodded to one another before looking back at Naruto.

"Choose." They said simultaneously, not giving Naruto much of a choice.

"Choose? You mean choose one of you?" They both nodded, neither happy with the outcome.

"But I..I like both of you."

"I'm sorry Uzumaki-sama, but to prevent double summoning you must pick one of us so the other may remove you from the contract. It's the only way."

"Is there a way that I would still be able to visit the one that I don't choose?" Gamakichi nodded.

"We could always put a little seal on you that allows us to summon you to Myōbokuzan if we ever need you." The monkey nodded as well.

"We have a similar use for transporting you to our homes on Uzu Island if that is your choice."

"Gamakichi..I'm sorry but I made a promise to Yonbi, I have to choose the Lava Monkeys." Gamakichi nodded and smiled a bit, he had figured Naruto would pick them anyways.

"Alright Naruto, you don't have to worry about it with me but I'm sure dad is gonna be mighty pissed off. Here, this..is the seal that will allow us to summon you. Don't worry, it won't happen very often, only if something important is happening that concerns you."

"Right..thanks for understanding Gamakichi."

"See ya!" And with that, the toad was gone leaving the monkey and Naruto to discuss whats next.

"Good choice if I may so Uzumaki-sama, your ancestors would be pleased." Naruto just nodded, not sure if Gamakichi was genuine in his goodbye.

"So..what is your name?" The monkey slapped himself on the forehead, how could he forget his manners?

"Sorry Uzumaki-sama, my name is Yōmara, it is a pleasure to meet you." The monkey held out it's large paw for a shake and Naruto awkwardly gripped it.

"My name is Naruto Uzumaki, the pleasure is mine Yōmara. Now tell me, what has happened with the Lava Monkeys while the Uzumaki have been away?"

"The monkeys have survived sir, but we do miss our old friends. Without Yonbi-sama to guide us or the Uzumaki to follow, we have sat idle for the past 30 years. I was excited when I received the call of a summon and now here I stand before another Uzumaki, praise Yonbi!" Naruto scratched the back of his head, not sure of what to make of it.

"Well..I have an Uzumaki wife as well and a child on the way. Is there any way we could get her to sign the contract as well?" The monkey was surprised at first to hear of more Uzumaki but quickly regained his composure.

"Of course Naruto-sama, I have a copy of the contract here with me. There is this little tradition back on Uzu island but it really isn't necessary. All she has to do is sign it and when your infant is at the right age, it can sign as well."

"Perfect! Would you like to come with me to get her?"

"Naruto-sama, are you inviting me into your home?" Naruto nodded, not getting what is the big deal.

"I have never been inside a human house before, you are most generous!" Naruto patted the large monkey on his shoulder and led him inside.

"Oh Mei-hime! I have a visitor here that has some words he would like to speak to you." Yōmara sat on his two bottom legs and nervously twiddled his fingers with much anxiousness. Naruto noticed his trepidation and sought to quell it.

"Don't worry, she is very sweet." The monkey looked convinced until it looked up the stairs and seemed to shrink.

Naruto looked up there to see Mei with a familiar 'too happy' smile on her face, pointing at the monkey.

"Oh Naruto..what is a monkey doing in our house?" Naruto gulped, motioning to the large monkey.

"This is Yōmara and he has come from Uzu island through a summoning to ask that as an Uzumaki if you would sign the summoning contract?" Mei's eyes softened when she heard that and slowly moved down the stairs to stand before the two. Immediately, Yōmara moved to bow low but was stopped by Mei herself.

"Uzumaki-sama, please forgive me for my rude-" Mei held up a hand for quiet, silencing the monkey.

"There is no need for apologies, it was my own overreaction that led to this. I'm sorry to worry you Yōmara, I will gladly sign the Lava Monkey contract." The monkey smiled and brought out a scroll with the names of a few dozen remaining Uzumaki on it, giving Naruto an interesting idea for later.

"Just sign right here in blood..there! Beautiful handwriting by the way, Matriarch-sama!" Mei and Naruto's eyes widened at the sound of that.

"What do you mean by 'Matriarch', Yōmara?" Naruto asked, receiving a bit of a flustered look from the primate.

"Oh, I'm sorry if that was not the proper title for your female Naruto-sama. I just assumed that because you are the first to summon us in the last 30 years that you were the heads of the current Uzumaki family. Please forgive my wrongful assumptions." Naruto and Mei looked at each other in surprise.

"So..we are the first to contact you in the past 30 years?" Mei asked incredulously, not believing that such a famous summon would go unused. The monkey merely nodded and took on a sullen form.

"Yes Uzumaki-sama, my people have felt as though we have been shunned or failed the Uzumaki somehow and that this is our punishment. From your confusion, I suspect you know little of other Uzumaki's statuses?" They both nodded their heads, no other Uzumaki were known to the two of them.

"Well, that is a shame. Perhaps in time, we can work together to unite the Uzumaki with the help of my summoning contract here. Now then, I believe this summoning has been completed and I shall return home until I am summoned again. Naruto-sama, we may summon you soon so you may see our crimson backs or our leaders to discuss with them your further training as the Uzumaki Patriarch." Naruto was confused, training, patriarch?

"Wait, what do you mean by training?" The monkey looked at him for a moment as if he were stupid before he changed to a more friendly face.

"Your Lava training, the crimson backs will teach you our way of converting geothermal energy into strength and power, a secret power known only to the Yonbi's descendents. You will come to learn more in time.." The monkey disappeared in a puff of smoke leaving a confused couple of Uzumaki.

"OK.."

-

_Kirigakure, Mizukage Suite, 1 Day Later_

Mei sat at her desk in her normal attire, going through a few documents while she waited for Naruto to arrive. She had received a priority message from the Raikage that his brother, Killer Bee, had requested Naruto's presence for a training exercise. Seeing nothing wrong with it, Mei allowed it to go through and now she just had to see him off.

"Mizukage-sama, you requested my presence?" She looked up to see her fiance, he had dressed in his normal Kiri jounin attire for the trip.

"Yes, I have a mission that will send you to Kumo for some training alongside Killer Bee." Naruto was intrigued by this, the last time he saw Killer Bee was when he first visited Kumo with Yugito. They had met briefly during his week of training there.

"Did it say what kind of training?" Mei nodded her head, handing the message over to Naruto. Reading it, his eyes widened when he saw the word underlined at least a dozen times by someone who had to be Killer Bee.

"Rap training!?" Mei held back her laugh as she watched Naruto panic at the idea of rapping with Killer Bee.

"Now now, calm down Naruto. I'm sure that you can talk him into some real training after he has done..whatever he is going to do with you and rapping." Naruto wasn't feeling any better, Yugito had many horror stories she told of him and he didn't like remaining in the same room for too long.

"Look on the bright side, it pays A-rank because Killer Bee insisted that it was a very important mission. You can use it to go buy us some baby clothes, and a crib, and-" Naruto interrupted her with his hands held up in defense.

"Okay, okay I get it. I'm going, but I won't like it.." Naruto began to walk towards the door but stopped when he remembered something. "Oh, before I forget..here, this is the list I made that you asked for. I'll oversee the.._preparations_ after my mission is complete." Naruto left off as he disappeared behind the office's door.

Mei smiled at his memory and looked at the list, Naruto had compiled all the names of the remaining Uzumaki and now it was Mei's job to find them. Pulling out the large scroll with the census, Mei started looking, already knowing this was going to be a long day.

-

_Konoha, Hokage Office_

"Tsunade, along with the information supplied by Yamato's team, I have confirmed the fact that Danzo has entered Amegakure for his future base of operations. Please allow me to go and find out exactly what he is planning, it could be vital for the Kiri-Konoha alliance!" Jiraiya stood in front of Tsunade, hoping to get permission to infiltrate the rainy country for intel.

Tsunade's eyes widened as she knew he was determined, why the hell would he want to go there himself?

"Jiraiya, the situation in that country is too risky, why can't you just use your spy network to gather information?"

"I already tried that Tsunade, my spies either have trouble smuggling the information to me from inside the country..or they are caught in the process of gathering it. I no longer have a viable network in the country and now it's up to me to find what we need. Will you allow me to do it?"

"You understand the risks, don't you?" Jiraiya scoffed, of course he did.

"I am one of the Sannin, remember? I can take anything the old coot can throw at me, we will have what we need when I get back. See ya, Tsunade-chan!" Jiraiya was gone in a puff of smoke, not even waiting for her final approval.

"Damn idiot..be safe." She said as she looked out the window in the direction he disappeared to.

-

_Kumogakure Outskirts, Killer Bee's Training Grounds_

"OK Bee, what is this 'Rap Training' that you want me to help you with?" Naruto and Bee were standing on a large circular platform with Bee's hideaway a little higher up the mountain they were on.

Bee scratched the back of his head, a bit nervous. He pulled out his rhyme book and got out a pencil but didn't write anything.

"I'm having some trouble, thinkin' of my rhymes. Yeah! I need your help to find something that rhymes with 'double'." Naruto wracked his brain for the answer to the simple request.

"Um..trouble?" That seemed to spark something in the older man's eyes and he furiously began to write in his rhyme book.

"Get this! Gotta go on the double, before I get in trouble, float away in a bubble, cause I float like butterfly and sting like a bee cause I'm Kirabi!" Naruto just sweat dropped, propping up a thumbs up for the man's..mediocrity.

"Uh..nice one?" Killer Bee noticed Naruto still standing there and ran up to him and gave him a giant bear hug as thanks.

"Thanks to you my little blond friend I have new rhymes. Now I'm in a good mood, so how about we train for real and I can help you with the training that I promised to give you when you were first here. Yeah!" Naruto was confused, what training was that?

"What do you mean, training? I don't remember."

"The training with multiple swords Naruto, remember? You were so hyped up on my super awesome style that you wanted to learn too! First we gotta get my man here some swords and somethin' to put em' in!" Bee ran up into his home away from home and disappeared for over five minutes, leaving Naruto just sit there astounded at the man's memory.

Just when he thought the man passed out or got lost, he came back out with _nine_ swords and a back holder for all of them that allowed Naruto to reach them easily.

"My students on Team Samui could never learn how to use multiple swords, or at least not very well. I think you're going to be my first student to actually pass the class. Oh Yeah!" He helped Naruto fasten the holder onto his back and instructed him on how to remove _all_ the swords at the same time.

"Like..this?" Instead of removing the swords completely, Naruto just loosened them in their slots seeing as he did not yet know how to hold them all.

"Yeah..like that."

"I use seven swords but I thought since ya got the Nine Tails that ya should get nine swords, yeah! Let's see.."

He had Naruto stand in a very awkward position and just started placing swords between his joints, he even stuck one in his mouth. After the seventh one was placed, he took a few steps back to admire his handy work.

"That's my exact stance, now where to place the other ones.." Naruto was sweating bullets, hoping that Bee would find a decent spot for them. After much indecision, Bee chose to place the last two in Naruto's open hands, effectively having him hold all nine blades.

Naruto was unable to hold the stance however and fell over to the ground, making Bee face palm.

"Naruto, ya supposed to be able to stand when ya fight. Yeah!"

"How the hell am I supposed to balance that?!"

"Well..I suppose I could teach you that part.."

"Yeah, probably be better if we started with that."

-

_Kumogakure Outskirts, 5 Days Later_

"Okay, ya know the stance but can ya dig it?" Naruto sweat dropped for the thousandth time being in Kumo.

"You mean can I _use_ it?" Killer Bee scratched the back of his head.

"Uh yeah, that.."

"Well, let's get started. I have some stuff I have to do in Kiri and it has a timetable." Killer Bee seemed pleased enough and pulled out his own swords quickly, Naruto did the same.

Both opponents stared at each other before Killer Bee started the battle by jumping towards Naruto. Meeting the charge with one of his own, Naruto launched into the air and twisted his left arm towards Bee's form. The two clashed their blades, the battle becoming a game of who could push the other back until Naruto became a little too unpredictable.

Contrary to the style Bee had taught him, Naruto maneuvered his right leg and kicked the other man away from him. Charging forward, Naruto dodged three swords thrown by Bee and flipped upside down to confuse Bee while he switched the positioning of his swords but the other blond was not fooled. Charging forward quickly, Bee took the blades from Naruto mid stride and held his mouth blade right up to Naruto's neck while the rest threatened to penetrate his center mass.

While Naruto lost the sword battle, by releasing his swords it gave him the chance to form a perfect Rasengan that threatened to tear right through Bee's defenses. Looking down, Bee noticed this as well and smirked, releasing his weapons and handing back Naruto's.

"That was sweet! Your swordsmanship will need a lot of work to keep up with the masta but ya got style kid!" Placing his weapons back in their correct holsters, Naruto bowed to his 'sensei'.

"Thanks Bee..I think."

"Yeah! Whenever I need you for more of those sick rhymes, I'll call ya!"

"Um alright. Don't push yourself!"

Naruto left in a flash of yellow to go visit a place that he should have gone to a long time ago.

"Man, I gotta learn how to do that!"

-

_Uzu Shores_

Naruto walked up along the shoreline towards the mainland, cutting through the dense foliage. He was looking for Uzugakure, the hidden village where he expected his clan's living quarters were. Realizing that this was going to get him nowhere, Naruto went through a few hand signs and slammed his hand down onto the ground to make a puff of smoke appear.

The familiar face of Yōmara appeared and it gave Naruto more confidence that his mission would be a success.

"Ah Naruto-sama, good to see you! Why have you summoned me though?"

"I need your help finding the ruins of Uzugakure, I need to start fixing it up." Yōmara heard that and smiled.

"While I admire your mission sir, I'm afraid that you can't fix it up."

"Why is that?" Naruto inclined his head towards Yōmara in a suspicious gaze.

"It's because the monkeys have already fixed the cities for you, in hopes that you would return. I can show you Uzugakure if you wish though, it is a beautiful city for humans anyway."

"Alright, why not?" Naruto followed the monkey's lead as they explored the jungles and slowly started to reach the city.

Naruto was amazed by the amount of animal life though, it seemed every few steps you took there were lava monkeys in sight or even other animals. When the foliage began to thin out, Naruto knew that they had almost arrived, but he was not expecting the sight before him.

-

_Uzugakure_ _'Gates'_

"What is this?" Yōmara had led him to what appeared to be the eastern whirlpool fields of Uzu country.

Yōmara spread his arms wide in front of him, amplifying the sheer grandeur of the moment.

"This..is Uzugakure!" Naruto looked around confusedly, all he could see were multiple whirlpools that were huge, ship eaters in size.

They currently stood on the shore but Yōmara began to walk across the water without fail or worry. Naruto soon followed and the two were soon standing in the middle of the dangerous fields.

"That was the first defense, if we had not been who we were, the whirlpools would have sucked us in. Now for the entrance!" Suddenly Yōmara jumped into the nearest and largest whirlpool before allowing himself to be sucked away.

At first Naruto thought he had fallen in on accident but soon realized that this was the so called 'gate' of Uzugakure. Naruto felt himself being tugged by the strong currents and could tell he was moving _towards_ the island.

Naruto tried to open his eyes to see where he was going and found the currents were leading through tunnels that had been dug out under the island. Entering through one of them, Naruto could feel the heat rise and could only guess that there was volcanic activity on the island. Feeling the current change, Naruto was now being pulled upwards towards the surface, a bright light was above him.

-

_Uzugakure_

Coming out of the giant geyser, Naruto felt himself launch into the air a few moments before landing sorely on his bottom. Yōmara stood off to the side, patiently waiting for the Uzumaki to gather himself.

"Ah! You have arrived, how did you like the ride?" Naruto slowly stood up while nursing his hurt backside.

"Is that the only entrance to Uzugakure?" Yōmara looked at him curiously before shaking his head.

"No, if you know the right direction, you can walk here from the shores. There is an elaborate genjutsu that will only fall if you are an Uzumaki or monkey, otherwise it seems like your just walking through more forest."

"Good, because I don't want to do that again." The red primate shrugged.

"I suppose it's more popular with the children then, the whirlpool fields are popular spots."

"I'll bet..wow!" Naruto finally took notice of the city before him and was amazed at it's style and somewhat familiarity.

"We are here, the home of your ancestors, Uzugakure!"

Naruto took notice that most of the buildings were painted red or orange, bright vibrant colors littered the view. The city building structure was similar to Kiri's because the buildings were in cylindrical shapes for the most part, except for a few that seemed to be very important. Naruto looked closely at the Japanese-style castle that had Uzu swirls adorned on it and figured it to be the head clan's building.

Naruto looked behind himself to find a large wall that prevented access to would be travelers, the Uzumaki really didn't like outsiders apparently.

"I hope the monkeys did a good job with your city, Naruto-sama. We have had over 50 years of solitude so this was one of the few things we could do, how does it look?" Naruto walked along the main street a bit followed closely by his guide.

"Well I don't know what it looked like before but..I like it! It feels very familiar while at the same time very new, your people did a wonderful job! I can't wait to move in!" Yōmara's eyes widened, he was coming to live here?

"Naruto-sama, do you mean that you will come back here to live?" Naruto turned to the monkey and nodded.

"Praise Yonbi! Hopefully more Uzumaki will follow, we can be a true family again!" Naruto looked up into the sky, wondering how Mei was doing.

"Hopefully.."

-

_Amegakure_

A toad came up for a peek at land, looking around to see if it could find anyone. It was currently in a large body of water that surrounded the city, keeping most travelers well away from it. Opening it's mouth, the toad allowed the man that had been tagging along to come out of hiding.

Jiraiya slowly pulled himself out from inside the small amphibian and took a look at his surroundings. It was raining, so he pulled on a cloak that would allow him to move throughout the city without being recognized.

Just as he was beginning to walk off towards the lights of the festival, the toad had a final question.

"Jiraiya-sama, are you sure this is a good idea? Surely we could find the information you need another way?" Jiraiya looked back at the small animal and smiled, hiking a thumb at himself.

"Aw come on, have a little more faith in me will ya? I am the toad sage and sannin Jiraiya, I think I can handle it. Don't worry, I'll be back out soon with all the information we need."

Jiraiya quickly turned around and began to walk, his smile had left him and a frown had settled on his face.

_'I'm not sure what it is, but now I'm starting to get the feeling this mission is different than the others. Oh, look at me, I'm letting the others doubts get to me. I'll be back drinking saki with Tsunade-hime in no time, just watch.'_

-

Done! I didn't really like this chapter since I feel like I just made a filler, but it has some important plot points that are setting up to happen. If anyone else is predicting a Kage summit, well you aren't too far off since I plan for it to happen soon.

What will happen with Jiraiya now in the hornet's nest? Will the Uzumaki follow Naruto to Uzugakure when the time comes? What events will lead to the inevitable Kage summit and what will be discussed?

Tune in next time!

Review

Also expect the first chapter/prologue of my Naruto ODST story soon!

Bye Bye


	16. Fragile Allies Meet While Enemies Plot!

Uzumaki Clan's Rebirth

Chapter 16

The Fragile Allies Meet While The Enemies Plot!

**Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO!**

"speaking"

_'thinking'_

"**Jutsu**"

**"Tailed Beast Speak"**

NaruxMei

**BLOODLINE WARNING**: Naruto uses **Lava** and **Boil** Release in this story. He has three elements in total because of his bloodlimit, Fire, Water, and Earth.

-

_Amegakure, Festival_

Jiraiya stalked through the crowd of Ame citizens, silently observing the holiday arrangements. He would go to the occasional shop and sample their wares, ask simple questions and try and get what he needed out of them. As he walked amongst them, Jiraiya felt just how alien he was standing with them.

_'This isn't working, these people are too suspicious of foreigners. I'm like an outsider..'_

The old pervert moved off to the side and found a bench, deciding to take a break from his investigations. His eyes wandered from suspicious persons to beautiful ladies, slowly beginning to drool over the forbidden fruit.

_'I wonder if there are any 'pleasure places' here? Such a gold mine in a country locked in civil war..and I am the first man to find it from the outside! I stake my claim.'_

Just as Jiraiya was about to chase a particular piece of fine ass, he noticed a peculiar figure walk past him. This particular person stood out because his mask wasn't a civilian design, it was a _konoha_ design. Furthermore, with his experience, Jiraiya could tell the bulges under the man's cloak were his weaponry. This led him to one conclusion, this was a ROOT operative that was operating inside an enemy city.

Standing up, Jiraiya began to trail the man who was sticking mainly to populated areas. After a few more minutes of aimless wandering, Jiraiya noticed another similar figure begin to walk alongside the man. A few minutes later _another_ joined, the trend continued until there was at least half a dozen of them walking loosely with one another.

_'What are they up to?'_

The six identified ANBU were now going down an alleyway, void of anyone else other than themselves and a white-haired spy. Concealing himself with a simple Chameleon technique, Jiraiya watched as one went up to a wall and pressed inward, the assortment of pipes shook and rose revealing a passage. All six quickly went inside with a close by Jiraiya following on their toes.

They led him through multiple passages, all kept professionally quiet as they approached their command center. Entering through the last passage, all seven walked into a large room with a conference table in the center of it, some sort of meeting room.

Jiraiya moved off to a wall, to be the fly on the wall during the inevitable meeting. His eyes widened as the six ROOT operatives threw off their trademark white cloaks for a sinister revelation to show, they were wearing _akatsuki_ cloaks underneath them.

_'My god...that old bastard really did it. He joined Akatsuki and brought his men with him.'_

His thoughts were interrupted when previously unseen doors opened and it revealed Danzo walking with three figures into the room. The ROOT soldiers had taken up security places around the room, watching all four carefully.

"Danzo, I see your men have taken up their new colors well." Said the man with the orange mask, he seemed suspicious to Jiraiya.

Danzo himself ran his available hand over his new cloak, particularly tracing the red clouds.

"Yes well, I must admit they are wonderful colors. Besides, I told you we joined forces correct?" That was all the proof Jiraiya needed, Danzo was now a criminal among the Akatsuki.

"You are sure about this sir? Allowing an ex-Konoha shinobi to just waltz in here and join us?" A strangely shaped man with what looked to be a venus flytrap.

_'Seems to be second in command, and for a while now. No one would have the balls to interrupt a leader of a criminal organization just like that.'_

"Well, Danzo does know how to make quite a bargain. He gave me an army..and an apprentice." The two figures opposite Danzo and Tobi shifted uncomfortably.

_'Who is this apprentice?'_

"Sir, can we trust the Uchiha to come with us willingly? After all, he was under the command of Orochimaru when we picked him up.." Said the man with a large sword on his back, his face was very similar to that of a shark.

_'That must be Kisame Hoshigaki, the Demon of the Mist. And what was that about Uchiha? They couldn't mean Sasuke could they? How the hell did they manage to take him from Orochimaru so easily..and why?'_

"Oh, once I reveal a few things to the boy, I'm sure he will come along to our side. Besides..we always have Itachi with us to serve as a contingency plan." The other three grunted in agreement to Tobi.

"Onto the next order of business, Kisame, you and Itachi recently arrived with the Four Tails and it was successfully extracted. How many does that make under our control?" The plant man spoke up up to answer the leader.

"That makes three sir, we are currently tracking the Three and Six Tails. I am also monitoring the Nine tails as you requested." Jiraiya's eyes widened, Naruto!

"Good, I will begin to order Pain into position soon. Kisame..I trust that you will be able to handle your duty when the time comes to capture the Eight tails?" Kisame smirked, nodding his head confidently.

"Yes, I believe I will be up to the task." Tobi nodded and stood up, casting a suspicious eye at the direction Jiraiya was in.

"Now that the meeting is over.." Madara's sharingan eye swirled angrily. "It's time we take care of the spy."

It all seemed to happen in slow motion to Jiraiya, one moment all four were sitting at the table and the next they had sprung up and started charging towards him. Quickly ducking back into the passage, Jiraiya ran for his life, knowing that even he could not outfight the men that were chasing him.

_'Were there really this many turns when we were coming this way? Dammit, I may have to summon the toad sage to get out of this!'_

Rounding another corner, Jiraiya sighed in relief when he saw rain pelting the ground and looked up to see the sky. Having his escape route, Jiraiya began his run up the pipes when the water turned into a waterfall and pushed him down the pipes to land back on the ground.

"**Water Release: Great Waterfall!**" Kisame announced triumphantly, stopping the would-be escape in it's tracks.

Jiraiya quickly recovered and glared at the man, he was the only one present. Knowing the other three and ROOT cronies were not far behind, Jiraiya knew he could not stay. Gathering a large Rasengan in his palm, Jiraiya charged Kisame who only brought his greatsword in front of him and held it to the approaching Rasengan.

Jiraiya quickly noticed the jutsu losing strength and switched tactics, going through hand signs for his ultimate speed attack.

"**Hair Needle Barrage!**" Kisame's eyes changed to a playful look as he lazily brought his sword up to deflect the attack, destroying most of the attack while a few needles penetrated his flesh.

"Ouch..was this supposed to give me a reason to get out my tweezers?" Jiraiya gritted his teeth and slammed a smoke bomb onto the ground, quickly running towards the top but was stopped by a flash of orange in front of him.

"Where do you think you are going?"

-

_Konohagakure,_ _Hokage Office 1 Week Later_

"Tsunade-sama!" Shizune came running through the office door to alert Tsunade of the toad presence in Konoha.

Tsunade and her visitor turned to look at Shizune who had made an unnecessary uproar in the middle of their meeting. Shizune saw Fukasaku had already shown himself and quietly dismissed herself, thoroughly embarrassed.

"As you were saying Fukasaku-sama?" Tsunade requested, intent on hearing any news on the missing Jiraiya.

The toad sage sighed and looked at Tsunade with remorse in his eyes.

"We have yet to contact Jiraiya since he went into Ame, however, he has sent us a message that contains info on Akatsuki. We received it soon after he arrived in Ame but..no Jiraiya-chan. I'm not sure what has happened to him." Tsunade quickly swallowed her fears and took the scroll from the toad and began to read.

Her eyes widened when she saw the many revelations written on the parchment. Sasuke had been abducted from Orochimaru, Kisame Hoshigaki was after the Eight tails, Naruto was being watched and that they captured the Fourth tails? This was too much information for her to process, but she knew that this information had to be spread.

_'I wonder why Iwa hasn't announced their Jinchuuriki missing, do they really care?'_

"This is..quite a treasure trove of information.." Fukasaku nodded, in thought.

"What will you do with it? If they really did..kill Jiraiya-chan, we can't just let that go. Something must be done about this Akatsuki organization." Tsunade looked at the old toad and nodded, rereading the part where it said Naruto was being observed.

"We will send a general call to all major nations to meet us on neutral ground, possibly the Land of Iron if they will have us." Fukasaku looked at her incredulously before smirking, slowly making his way towards the door.

"Shinobi coming together against a common threat, I never thought I would live to see the day." Tsunade watched as he left and looked out the window.

As per her nightly ritual and rainy day contingency, Tsunade pulled out a bottle of sake and poured herself a glass. The warming liquids rushed down her throat and uncomfortably settled at the bottom of her stomach.

_'Why won't this let me forget?'_

A lone tear fell from Tsunade's eye, a silent call of sorrow from the once strong Godaime Hokage. Another one of her loved ones was gone.

-

_Kirigakure, 1 Week Later_

Mei currently sat in her office, rereading a report that had been sent by the leader of Konohagakure, the Godaime Hokage Tsunade. Her entire body shook with anxiety to what the letter contents read, the sheer ramifications and the effect on the ninja world was too great to be real.

_'Four Tails captured, Jiraiya of the Sannin dead, and Naruto is next apparently, this is not good at all. What could Tsunade hope to accomplish with a meeting of the Kage though, is she in her right mind?'_

As she pondered this, the door slowly opened allowing a single ninja inside, he had just arrived from the old Uzu ruins. Naruto Uzumaki walked up to his wife-to-be and kissed her in surprise, she welcomed the kiss immediately and allowed her tongue to tangle with his. Switching their spots so he was now the one in the chair, Mei now sat in his lap staring at him with pure joy.

"Naruto-koi, you are back! How was your trip to Kumo and the ruins?" Naruto detailed his training in Kumo, accentuated by his swords that still were strapped to his back.

"See, going to see Killer Bee wasn't so bad now was it?" Naruto sighed, not wishing to think of the encounter.

"It was only good _after_ we got the rapping out of the way, besides, I could have learned how to wield nine swords on my own.." Mei giggled but then remembered the saddening message received and became gravely serious.

"Naruto, you need to look at this, it was received from Konoha a few days ago. It has some...disturbing information." Naruto took the paper and began to read, his eyes slowly growing in size until they were saucers.

Apparently finished, Naruto threw the parchment away like it was poison, his hands tightening into fists. Mei observed his face change from calm to pure anguish and hatred, something she did not wish to see.

"Pervy sage..and Roshi too, those _bastards_!" Naruto threatened to get up and hunt them down himself before Mei placed both hands on his cheeks to try and calm him.

"Naruto, please calm down! You going out there and trying to find the men who did this will get us nowhere, you need to save your strength for when the real battle comes. Besides, I don't like to see you angry, especially around me." Naruto looked at her and saw the hurt in her eyes, making him feel ashamed.

The small influence of Kyuubi Naruto allowed to slip through now disappeared, his eyes returning to ocean blue from the fiery red.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have overreacted like that, it's just..just that.."

"You don't have to say it Naruto, you already told me about your past with both of them, I would be just as angry if I was in your position. However, they both gave their lives to give you a chance, a chance to prepare and stop Akatsuki. And to cement that chance, Tsunade has called all five of the Shinobi Nations to a summit to be held in the Land of Iron." Naruto was shocked, Tsunade was trying to assemble all the villages?

"There is no way that could work right? I mean..we are talking about stubborn nations like Iwa and Kumo, how will we get them to agree?" Mei seemed to ponder this for a moment.

"Iwa has obviously been keeping their Jinchuuriki's disappearances secret, because otherwise they would have been calling for blood by now. If they are given a chance to rid a potential threat like Akatsuki, they can't refuse. Kumo is easy, you yourself had a hand in that. With you tagging along with me, it will surely ease relations during the meeting." Naruto's eyes widened, he was going?

"You..want me to go?" Mei looked at him as if it was obvious to which he responded with a confused facial expression.

"Obviously, it says here I need two bodyguards to come with me. You are one of the strongest ninja in this village if not _the_ strongest, why wouldn't I want you to come? And besides, it says in the fine print here that you have to come along, Hokage's orders." Naruto suspiciously picked up the crumpled paper and looked to see in small print that Tsunade really was ordering him to attend.

"So when do we leave?"

"Tomorrow Naruto-kun, be ready."

"Is there anyone else you want me to assemble?" Mei poked her chin, trying to think. Suddenly she snapped her fingers, knowing just the man.

"Naruto, bring your old sensei here first thing tomorrow."

-

_Kumogakure, Raikage's Office_

"What the hell is this?! A notice from Konoha, why the hell are they having a meeting?!" The Raikage bellowed, obviously not amused by this.

His secretary quietly sighed from the side as he 'accidentally' broke his desk again, this man was just too much.

"Raikage-sama, this is a legitimate meeting to be held. From the notes there, it shows that Akatsuki has turned from a rogue group of criminals to a powerful terrorist organization with possible ex-Konoha shinobi backing. We cannot turn away from this call of nations so easily, it could bring peace to the land. Besides, these are the people who have actively tried to capture not only your brother but Yugito as well." The Raikage seemed to ponder this, tapping his meaty fingers on his hat.

"I suppose that sounds about right, get me Darui and Shi immediately! And when the lazy bastard asks why when he could just take a walk instead, tell him that I'll challenge him to a wrestle match again!" The secretary sweat dropped and set off to find the two ninja.

After the last time Raikage-sama attempted a 'fair' wrestle match, half of the Kuroku mountains were destroyed and Darui didn't dare set foot in the man's office again.

-

_Iwagakure, Tsuchikage's Office_

An old man sat in his chair in a large stone room, his mottled brown hat sat unused on his desk as he massaged his back. Just finishing another pile of useless paperwork, Onoki seriously wondered for the thousandth time if he should retire.

_'It might not be such a bad idea, I mean then I could just retire and have someone massage my back without any shame coming from it. But who from the young generation could I..'_

Onoki was cut off from his musings when the large door was crashed into and broken in half by a dazed but smiling Akatsuchi who was holding a scroll. Onoki deadpanned and with a sweat drop and quickly rethought his retirement.

_'Who in the young generation can truly be trusted with such a position of power? This is a prime example of young whippersnappers that just can't do anything but fumble the ball in times of stress, I will just have to stay as the Tsuchikage.'_

"Tsuchikage-sama, a message from Konoha has arrived for you." The older man's eyes widened and he got up from his chair and set off in a steady stride to Akatsuchi.

Taking it from him, Onoki wondered what his old nemesis of a country Konoha could possibly want.

His eyes widened when he saw Roshi's name attached, wondering if it was some trick or trap.

_'So, those bastards got Roshi too huh? We thought that allowing Han to be taken would keep them away from the country, I suppose I was wrong to ignore them for so long.'_

"This looks suspicious Akatsuchi, bring Kurotsuchi here immediately, it seems we have a meeting to go to." Akatsuchi looked shocked that the Tsuchikage was really thinking of going along with something that was proposed by _Konoha_!

"Are you sure sir? I thought that we couldn't trust the Konoha dogs and that we would never come into talks with them again." Onoki looked into the younger boy's eyes, slowly shaking his head in a condescending manner.

"There are times when one must take contradictory actions to his previous words and promises for the greater good. Sometimes.." Onoki looked out the window to his village. "one must remember what it means to truly be a shinobi."

-

_Sunagakure, Kazekage Office_

"Temari, Kankuro, prepare for a journey. Tsunade has called for a summit meeting of the Kage and I need two bodyguards. You are my first choices." Kankuro and Temari stood in front of their younger brother's desk talking about a priority message sent by Konoha.

"What's all this about Gaara?" Kankuro asked, curious as to what Konoha wanted.

"It seems that Akatsuki has struck again and has become more than just a minor pest, Tsunade seems to have had enough of this and has called a meeting to discuss ways to defeat Akatsuki. I foresee this as being a way to promote unity amongst the divided nations of the shinobi world."

"Will Naruto and the Mizukage go as well?" Temari wondered, knowing Gaara would like his friend to attend.

"Most likely Naruto will go along with the Mizukage as a bodyguard, I doubt he would entrust her with anyone else."

"I suppose you are right."

"We leave tomorrow, prepare yourselves."

-

_Amegakure_

Zetsu stood before his leader, Madara Uchiha in a small meeting room reserved for privacy. Zetsu had been recently summoned for a private discussion concerning a message they had intercepted on it's way to Takigakure, sent by Konoha.

"Zetsu..tell me what you think of this 'alliance' talk that Konoha is proposing." Madara used his fingers to indicate air quotes around alliance as he thought it more of a joke than anything.

Zetsu gulped, allowing his serious personality to answer.

"My lord, I believe that the talks can either be our savior or our destruction." Madara looked somewhat intrigued waving his hand gesturing to continue.

"Please go on."

"From what the past has told us, the major nations have always been at odds since their birth, whether it be because of territorial disputes, clan rivalries," Zetsu noticed Madara's eye narrow and continued quickly "or for personal glory. Who is to say that this meeting of Kage could not turn out to be a bloodbath, a perfect place for them to ambush and attempt to kill one another?" Madara thought this over in his mind, it sounded quite plausible.

"_If_ we look at the past to solve the answer, but we both know that that tactic doesn't always work. I have felt something strange about this attempt to unite the five nations and while it does not worry me, I am somewhat concerned on how it will affect our abilities to kidnap the Jinchuuriki. Now, I have a mission for you that concerns this summit." Zetsu nodded, glad that his lord recognized his abilities.

"I need you to go to the Land of Iron and spy on the Kage during the conference. We must find out any plans they create there and find out their strengths and weaknesses. I will make a later appearance to discuss with them my Moon Eye plan and then we will retreat into hiding. With Danzo's forces now under our command, we have a small strike force but.." Madara got up and looked out the one opening to exit the room, the rain poured outside as he observed the peaceful nature scene. "What we need, is an _army_."

-

_Kirigakure, Village Gate_

Naruto stood alongside Mei and Chojuro as they waited to leave the village to go to the Kage meeting. At the moment, a large amount of ninja and civilians were gathering to see them off, the meeting had been purposely leaked to the public for morale purposes. Naruto had wondered if Mei was still in a physical condition worthy to still be a ninja with the baby, Mei insisted that until the symptoms became more prevalent and her bump was obvious, she would stay in office.

"Wow, I didn't even know we had this many ninja.." Naruto mumbled, the sheer amount of their forces was quite staggering to the blond.

"Yes, and they have all come to see us off. Isn't it nice?" She asked, turning to her fiance. Naruto looked back at her and smiled.

"Chojuro, do you have everything you need?" Mei asked, the boy had been quiet for some time now.

He shuffled his feet on the ground and readjusted the sword on his back, barely glancing at the Mizukage's eyes.

"Yes ma'am..I think I'll be just fine..I think." Naruto looked at him with a barely hidden smirk, his sensei had always been so timid.

"You have to have more confidence Chojuro, Mei wouldn't have picked you had she not figured in your strength. If you have faith in yourself, you can be so much stronger!" Chojuro looked up to his old student's eyes and smiled, standing a little bit straighter.

"You are right Naruto! I just have to remember that I have the ability to make a difference then..then I..can.." The older boy went off into a stuttering mumble and Naruto sweat dropped, it was still a work in progress.

Mei elbowed him and stood a little straighter, making Naruto do the same when he saw an elderly man carrying her kage hat. She had said that it was a monumental occasion when a Kage had to leave the village, especially for something so important as a meeting with the nations. An elderly person, generally a veteran of the council, would hand her the hat as a symbolic way of saying that the strength of Kiri's people would go with her.

He paced towards her with a ceremonial staff in one hand and the hat in the other, the shape was of a serpent from Kiri's myths of the past. Mei took a small step forward so the man would not have to take as many steps to reach her, Naruto stood with his arms crossed confidently and with a smirk on his face; Chojuro had a small smile and had both hands in his pants pockets.

Naruto's chosen attire to attend the meeting was somewhat of his old original clothing from when he first arrived in Kiri three years ago. He had on his black ninja sandals, black leather leggings to cover the skin between his pants and his sandals and his old camo pants that were a black and white color. His shirt was mostly covered by his gray Kiri jounin vest but the black sleeves were visible as was the camo part around his neck and at the bottom of the vest where the shirt poked out. He wore his Kiri headband right on his forehead and had on his two gloves with metal protectors with Kiri's symbol on them.

"Be sure to take care of the Mizukage, make sure there are no problems." Naruto spied his fellow Hunter Muruko in the front of the crowd, giving them their parting orders.

"I know that." Naruto said back simply, noting Mei's small smirk that formed as he said that.

Finally, the elderly man outstretched his hand and Mei reached for it and gently took it from him. She did not put it on however, choosing to hold it as she spoke reassuring words to the populace.

"Thank you sir. I promise I will fulfill my duty as the Mizukage of Kirigakure." The man silently chuckled and nodded, a ninja that stood next to him spoke to the two bodyguards.

"As two of the Seven Great Ninja, you must protect the Mizukage with your lives." Naruto punched Chojuro in the shoulder and smiled, as did the smaller man.

"Of course we will, I wouldn't let anything happen to her on my watch!" Naruto announced with a thumbs up, everyone silently shrugged their shoulders in relief knowing that the Mizukage's fiance would keep her safe.

"Yeah, back in my day we would just leave and not give these going away parties! Get a move on you three!" Naruto and Mei's eyes widened when they looked into the crowd and found a crippled Ao with crutches, his smile was a reassurance to both of them.

"Ao-senpai! You shouldn't be out of the hospital, you need rest!" Ao just shook his head and hobbled over to Naruto, holding out his hand.

"It's customary for men to shake hands for goodbyes, I hope to see you soon Naruto. I know you will keep her safe, that goes for Chojuro too!" Naruto looked down at his hand and smiled, grabbing it and shaking with him confidently.

"Come on Naruto, Chojuro, it's time to head out!"

Naruto turned around to see Mei slowly walking off with the blue hat over her head, obscuring her features. Giving one last confident nod towards the parting crowd, Naruto ran to catch up and stood alongside Mei as they began their trek to the Land of Iron.

-

_Kirigakure, Prison_

Upon leaving the festivity of seeing the Kage off, councilmen Akoro headed straight for the prison that was the place he had visited only a month ago to see Kyo. Now that the Mizukage was gone, they could now begin work on overthrowing her and bringing about a new era, one without bloodlines like the Uzumaki.

_'Yagura almost did it, now it's our turn to finish them off.'_

According to official documents taken before and after the massacres, there still remained over forty branch families of the Uzumaki, all had a mix of purebloods and branch members. Killing them all would be difficult, so that was why Akoro had suggested that the conspiracy and revolution be led by a veteran that led one of the hunter teams of the massacres himself, Kyo.

Entering the room, Akoro sat down as instructed by the guards and waited to see Kyo. The man slowly walked in with his white prisoner robe, a frown dead set on his features. His brown hair was now graying from stress of being a prisoner, also no doubt from the message Akoro had left the last time.

"What do you want Akoro? They tell me nothing of what happens outside, I wish to know how much longer it will be before I am released." Akoro hid his smirk as he relayed the details of the current events.

"The Mizukage has left for a meeting between the other great nations, now it is time for change here in Kiri. Would you lead us to a greater tomorrow, one that Yagura could only dream of?"

Kyo watched as two shadowy figures appeared and snapped the guard's necks, effectively allowing Kyo to walk free. The man smirked as they removed his bindings, he rubbed his sore wrists as he walked out of the prison along with Akoro.

"I think..that sounds like a wonderful idea."

-

So I got this one done finally, sorry it took so long (for me anyway). I was having trouble thinking of a way to accomplish everything in this chapter and ended up being somewhat rushed but I think you can fill in the small gaps left. My beta has apparently disappeared from what Mikie-From-Ireland says (he also uses the same beta) so I just released this with my own proofreading like usual.

Now for the assumptions, guessing and general chaos to ensue. Jiraiya's supposed death and posthumous message has given the Kage reason to worry and Madara has dreams of an army for Akatsuki. Sasuke has been kidnapped by Akatsuki, Orochimaru can only be pissed off. Kyo has been 'released' and now without their leader to guide them, who will the people of Kiri listen to? Will the Uzumaki survive long enough until Naruto can return and lead them to salvation, or will Naruto and Mei be the last remaining Uzumaki again?

Tune in next time!


	17. The Meeting and Troubles at Home!

Uzumaki Clan's Rebirth

Chapter 17

The Meeting, An Unlikely Alliance!

**Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO!**

"speaking"

_'thinking'_

"**Jutsu**"

**"Tailed Beast Speak"**

NaruxMei

**BLOODLINE WARNING**: Naruto uses **Lava** and **Boil** Release in this story. He has three elements in total because of his bloodlimit, Fire, Water, and Earth.

Hey everyone, just thought I would give a little plug for the poll on my profile. Please check it out and vote on your opinion of Samui, the ice queen hottie of Kumo!

-

_Shinobi Nations, Mainland_

_Forest, Close to Iron Border_

Naruto and Mei walked side by side on the dirt road with Chojuro somewhat lagging behind, the three were nearing the Land of Iron for a meeting between nations. They soon noticed that the landscape was becoming much more white with snow and the temperature dropped very suddenly as they neared the mountainous country.

_'We should stop somewhere for tonight, the meeting doesn't start until tomorrow.'_

"Mei-hime, I think that there is an inn coming up according to this map. How about we stop and rest, maybe get some warmer clothes?" Mei turned to Naruto and glanced at the map before looking around again.

"I suppose you are right Naruto-koi, it is getting a bit late and a little too cold for my taste. Chojuro, are you fine with stopping for the night?" Chojuro looked up at the smiling Mizukage and smiled himself, nodding his head in agreement.

"Then it's decided, let's pick up the pace a bit." The three jumped into the trees and made the trip last only a few more minutes.

Arriving at the old Japanese-style building, the three ninja entered and were welcomed by the woman at the desk.

"Welcome travelers to the Iron Fang Inn, how may I help you?" Naruto walked up and decided to do the talking for the group.

"Hello, we are three shinobi from Kirigakure and we need a room for tonight. _Preferably__ a private area because of we have an important person with us._" Naruto whispered the last part, referring to Mei who was just watching the two interact.

The woman behind the desk looked at the two behind him and silently noticed the air of authority that Mei radiated and nodded, quietly slipping Naruto a room number for them to go to.

"We have a wonderful dining area if you would like to head there before you turn in for the night. It's just right through the doors to your left. Please be aware that we have other guests and while we welcome all to our inn, we would like to keep the peace here so please no jutsu of any kind." Naruto nodded and all three entered the dining hall.

It looked very homey and nothing like what Naruto would have believed the inside to look like. It looked more like a tavern with the welcoming fireplace, multiple oak tables filled with adventurers and travelers of all kind drinking sake and laughing their troubles away. The room became oddly quiet when the three walked in, all eyes went to the two male ninja's weapons and Mei's breasts much to her own and Naruto's anger.

"Continue about your business." Mei announced and slowly everyone turned around but not without one last peek at the red-haired vixen.

"_Damn perverts._" She whispered, finding an empty table in a dark corner for them to sit away from them all.

Naruto turned to Chojuro and the boy wasn't looking too good, slightly huffing from the exertion of carrying the large sword without any rest.

"Oi Chojuro, go find our room and put your sword away. You shouldn't have to carry it everywhere." Chojuro took the slip of paper Naruto handed him with a smile and nodded, running to their room so he could get back quickly.

Naruto moved to Mei's table and sat right next to her, scooting his chair over further so he could loop an arm over her shoulder. Mei smiled as she turned to look at him, sighing lightly in happiness to be in his arms even outside the village. Her hand moved to his thigh and she leaned into his shoulder, whispering to him.

"It's been so long since I've left the village because of my responsibilities, I'm glad we get to go together Naruto." Naruto smiled, using his hand to pet her ankle-length hair in an affectionate fashion.

"I'm glad too, it's like a little adventure." Mei looked up into his eyes.

"With a very big reward." Naruto nodded and took a sip of the newly arrived drinks, a glass of milk for himself and a glass of water for Mei.

"Yes, I really hope the alliance will pass, I'm not so worried about the daimyo but the kage can be difficult to persuade. What do you think Mei?" Mei sat up a bit and took a sip of the drink, allowing the cold liquid to go down her throat.

"I'm on board for the alliance but it's true, Iwa and Kumo will be skeptical of it. But, with some talk I'm sure we can resolve it." The blond was just about to continue the discussion when a group of travelers arrived at their table, all had weapons of some type concealed amongst their clothing.

Naruto made eye contact with them while Mei tried to ignore them by looking away, their leader didn't like that so he moved into her new line of sight. Mei sighed in annoyance, some men had no limit to their pursuit of women even when they weren't interested.

"Can I help you?" Naruto asked with much venom laced in his voice, the leader turned to him with a scowl.

"Can't you see I'm trying to talk to the lady here mist boy? Why don't you head back up to your island while I have nice little date with this lady here?" Naruto glared at the man and Mei let out a low growl for this _bastard_ to disrespect her fiance and herself.

"If that's the way you-" Naruto began to stand up while revealing one of his new katana but was stopped when Mei placed one of her slender hands on his chest, slightly rubbing it to calm him.

"Mei-hime?" Mei smiled and slowly stood up from her chair to stand at a height equal to the idiots in front of her.

"Naruto-koi, allow me to show you why men should know not to go anywhere near a committed Uzumaki woman, especially _me_." Naruto gulped at her icy tone, slightly wishing he had some popcorn for what was coming up.

The tavern had grown quiet again as Mei smiled brightly towards the five men in front of her; the leader took this as a sign of affection and made a move to grope her breasts.

Her next move made everyone's eyes widen in shock.

Moving with lightning quick speed, Mei moved forward and shot a fist right into the man's gut, causing him to go flying back into the wall with a 'thud'. Whipping a strand of hair away that had gotten in front of her revealed eye, Mei looked at the four terrified men in front of her but widened her eyes in shock when all of them collapsed by unseen causes.

Seeing a yellow flash, Mei turned back towards the table and found Naruto sitting at the table, watching her with a smile. She shook her head and walked back over to her seat, allowing Naruto's possessive arm to circle around her again.

"That was a wonderful show Mei, your strength rivals that of Tsunade for sure. Must be in the blood." Mei giggled a bit at that, playfully flexing her slender arms for Naruto.

"You know, I could have handled those four myself." Naruto nodded in agreement but tightened his hold a bit more.

"I do know that, however, I got in the mood for something to punch when you hit that guy so..then I hit them. Besides, I wanted to do something, they were ogling you even while you punched their boss, it was disgusting." Mei smirked, groping Naruto's junk under the table making him squeak in surprise.

Mei took notice that it was already getting hard and looked at him with devilishly alluring eyes.

"And you are saying you didn't _ogle_ me when I got up or when I punched him then?" Naruto gulped, scratching his cheek in embarrassment, Mei had hit the mark.

"Well..maybe a little." Mei smiled as she leaned up and kissed Naruto on the cheek, leaving a blue imprint of her lips on it.

"If you are a good boy for the rest of tonight, we might just be able to do something for little junior here." She accentuated just who she was talking about my slowly moving her hand up and down his shaft, giving Naruto the chills at the thought of sex.

"Define good exactly?" Mei smirked before bringing him into another kiss. Chojuro walked into the dining hall and looked over at the table with the two engaged shinobi, noticing the men on the floor.

"..What did I miss?"

-

_Iron Forest Inn_

_Second Floor_

_Mizukage Chambers_

Naruto and Mei lay in their futon together, Chojuro was just outside allowing the two to have their privacy. Mei had stripped down to only her fishnets while Naruto had taken everything off except for his boxers, the two had planned to have a very 'fun' evening.

"So Mei, are you ready for tomorrow?" Naruto asked her, he figured that it would be a bit stressful to meet with all the other leaders of the elemental nations.

Mei looked at him with a smile, petting his whiskered cheek.

"If you are asking if I'm nervous then there is no need to worry, I'm quite prepared. I just hope they don't tear each other part, it would be a bit difficult to get anything done if old rivalries arise."

"How secure is the Land of Iron?" Mei had to think about this one for a little bit.

"Well it has no shinobi village, instead preferring to maintain a large army of samurai. They have a very unique culture and inhabit a snow-covered land amongst the mountains here. I would say it is very secure, why do you ask?" Naruto turned away from her and looked out the window, the crescent moon lit up the night sky.

"Just had a bad feeling, that's all." Mei frowned, pressing his face back to hers so he could see her smile.

"Don't worry Naruto, before you know it we will be back in Kiri and we can continue our wedding plans!" He smiled at that.

"I can't believe you are going to invite all the Uzumaki to Uzu just to attend our wedding, isn't that a little bold?" Mei took up a look of fake innocence.

"What? Just because we are practically announcing ourselves as the future of the clan doesn't mean _that_ much does it?" She fell into a fit of giggles at Naruto's astounded face, much to his ire.

"I wonder how Ao is doing watching over Kiri for us." Mei noticed his sudden change and propped herself up with her arm so she could look down into his ocean blue eyes.

"I'm sure he is fine, Ao is very capable. Besides, the village has been at peace for many years now, we should have no problems while we are away. Now.." Mei brought her head down and kissed Naruto's lips with her own, quieting any more of his bad omen talk. "I think it's about time this Uzumaki man took his Uzumaki woman to bed." Naruto let out an aroused growl and rolled over on top of Mei, she was already working on his boxers.

"Anything to please my wife."

-

_Kirigakure_

The streets were quiet today, barren of life as if everyone just up and left. Playgrounds went unused, shops were locked and their wares put away, even the academy was void of life. The only thing that stood out were fliers placed strategically around the city for an important rally in the village square.

Kyo walked along with his loyal followers, some ninja and others high-ranking citizenry to the stage where he would talk to the majority of Kiri. All ages had been allowed and even encouraged to attend, if he could strike at the young ones hearts, surely the old would fall into his hands.

_'Today is the day we set Kiri on the right track that vile woman placed us on after the massacres, if it were not for her and the rebellion, we would have no more clans! Now it falls on me to lead them, it is like a dream come true, all that is missing is our great leaders Yagura and Madara.'_

Kyo had a big smirk on his face as he moved through the parted crowd, looking into each of their eyes with his hazel ones. All the shinobi under his secret command wore masks to hide their identities so that when the revolution came, the loyalists would not know who their enemies were.

As he took his spot on the podium, he overheard further talking amongst the populace gathered before him. Whispers of doubts and allegations levied against him could be heard, some asking for his arrest while others seemed truly curious as to what he had to say.

"Wasn't he arrested?"

"What, the prisons aren't that secure anymore I guess."

"They need to keep loonies like this locked up."

Looking amongst the crowd, he was glad to see that the man left in charge of Kiri had been successfully held up by Akoro in an emergency council meeting. This gave Kyo ample time for his speech to which he hoped would inspire the people so much he would not need to make another until the time was right.

"People of Kiri.." The crowd grew silent as the man's booming voice enveloped the square, leaving them all to look at the rebel. Kyo smiled at their attention, he had thought it would be more difficult for the people to listen but he was glad they gave him a chance. "I have come out of hiding from the tyranny set upon me by the Fifth Mizukage to tell _you_ of her actions and what she is doing for the 'good' of the village."

The people looked amongst one another, not understanding what Kyo meant. As far as they had seen, Mei had done nothing but good for the village and she was actually a favorite amongst the people of Kiri. Kyo had been expecting this doubt in his words, however he resolved to remind them of the past atrocities of the Uzumaki and bloodlines.

"I would like to take you all back to a time before the Uzumaki like our Mizukage lived here, when the bloodlines were kept in check. What were we?" He allowed a moment of silence to let the people mull this over, some of the older ones nodded in recognition. "We were at peace!"

"We are at peace now!"

"What's this got to do with the Mizukage's bloodline?"

"Get off the stage!"

"Please, just a few more moments of time to allow me to show my point!" The people quieted, albeit reluctantly allowing the man to continue. "Before the Uzumaki came to us with their bloodthirsty empire, we lived in peace and prosperity as an isolated island nation. Now, with Mei Uzumaki in command of our forces and being guided by her treacherous ex-Konoha fiance Naruto Uzumaki, they plan to lead us into a war that is not ours to fight!" The people's eyes widened at the man's audacity to insult both the Mizukage and her fiance with such slander.

"She wouldn't do that!"

"Naruto isn't influencing her at all, he is a proud Kiri ninja!"

"What is this war?"

Kyo smiled at the question, raising his voice over the rioting mass.

"We have sent our _glorious_ leader off so that she may ally us with the dogs of Konoha, the muscle-bound idiots of Kumo, the backward tyrants of Iwa, and the lazy nomads of Suna! Yes, this _sounds_ like a wonderful idea on paper.._but_ allow me to show you all it's flaws!" The man's slurs against the other countries gave a few chuckles amongst the old and the young, many began to question just what the treaty entailed.

"With this treaty, we will be allying against a terrorist organization that goes by the name of Akatsuki, known to be the kidnappers of numerous jinchuuriki and murderers of innocents. How much of this is true? IS this really the 'true' enemy they are sending our children to fight, a measly _five_ shinobi? I THINK NOT!" Everyone's eyes widened at that, they wanted to waste lives just to kill five shinobi?

"Why would we waste our time with this organization?"

"The Jinchuuriki aren't worth protecting over something like this, they are monsters!"

"Let me remind you all that your.._beloved_ Naruto Uzumaki is also a jinchuuriki, one that has been hiding himself away inside _our_ walls. He has been using you all as meat shields to shy away this organization so that _he_ may live longer. By whispering into our Kage's welcoming ear, he has persuaded the nations to protect him like the coward he is!" Cries of outrage could be heard, the people were torn on who to believe in, Naruto or Kyo.

The present shinobi spread amongst the crowd were horrified by Kyo's words, they could not believe how much one person could twist their words so much. The general population of shinobi were still on Naruto's side, however, the civilians were another story.

While the Mizukage often made public speeches to the people, Naruto had no such bond to the citizens and many felt like they really didn't know the 'real' Naruto. They began to get twisted thoughts of a devilish Naruto plotting behind their backs, corrupting their beloved Mizukage.

"That is not all! You cannot just place the blame of danger on Naruto alone, Mei..I mean the Mizukage is also responsible for this! It was _she_ who allowed him to enter this village, _she_ who made the decision to privately train him, _she_ allowed him into her home and later her heart,_ and she_ has chosen to side herself with the monster himself! Surely it is not a coincidence?" Kyo watched as they looked to one another for answers that only _he_ could give them, they were in his hands now.

_'Now to bring in the bloodlines..'_

"IT WASN'T A COINCIDENCE AT ALL! It was in their blood to plot against us, they inherited their ancestors 'power trip' and wish to create another Uzumaki Empire! All Uzumaki are a danger to our security here, sleeper agents just waiting for your _beloved_ leader's call before they act upon us with that infernal bloodline! How can we trust them, better yet, how can you trust _any_ bloodline to not back stab you? The answer is simple, YOU CAN'T!" Small circles were now forming, people were edging away from one another in suspicion of who had a bloodline.

The easiest to find in the forming circles were Uzumaki, their uncommon traits in appearance allowed the trained eye to pick them out. Many veterans of the war began to push the bloodline users into the circles, many Uzumaki children were openly insulted by their younger friends.

The red heads knew not what to do, most had given up any idea of reforming a clan, wishing only to live a peaceful life; they were not prepared to defend themselves against this angry crowd. The men began to hug their wives close, glaring right back at the citizens of Kiri they had once called friends just a moment ago.

The violet, gray, and green eyed Uzumaki weren't the only ones to be segregated, many of the Hyō and Ranmaru clans were pushed amongst them as well, their bloodlines had been common knowledge amongst friends for some time.

"Why are you all acting like this? We have been frie-" A soft-spoken Uzumaki woman tried to soothe the crowd but only got slapped for her outburst by a Kiri man.

"Shut the hell up you whore! It's because of you that my boy is going to have to go and fight and when he comes back we will all be your slaves! Damn you and your bloodline!"

Kyo allowed himself to finish his speech with a question and a great hint at what he was preparing to accomplish.

"I leave you all now hoping that I have revealed what your leader has tried so hard to keep from you, maybe your outlooks have even been changed. I am but an old man with little ambition..I only wish for us all to continue living in the Kiri I fought many wars for and love with my heart. Now you must all choose, what must we do to stop bloodlines from gaining any more power? Yagura, our late Mizukage, seemed to have _quite_ a good idea.." Kyo excused himself with a bow, slowly being led away by his bodyguards while the people stayed in the streets for a few moments longer.

"The Mizukage is a tyrant waiting to take over, we must act!"

"Death to the Mizukage! Kyo would make a great leader, he warned us before they could act!"

"Death to Uzumaki! Kyo for Rokudaime Mizukage!"

"Death to Uzumaki! Kyo for Rokudaime Mizukage!"

"Death to Uzumaki! Kyo for Rokudaime Mizukage!"

Their chants spread throughout the city, sending chills down the spines of the bloodline users and a happy tingle in Kyo's chest.

_'Let the revolution begin.'_

-

_Land of Iron_

_Castle of Iron_

_Kage Summit_

Naruto, Mei, and Chojuro walked into the large castle freezing cold, having to walk through no less than half a dozen gate checkpoints and guard posts. The three were thoroughly exhausted but felt energy rush through them as they entered the large castle, a warm gush of air immediately warmed their chilled bodies.

"Well this is much better!" Naruto announced, allowing his hands to fall to his sides instead of having them cross over his chest in an effort to keep warm.

Mei had to agree, she was not in the right clothing for an extended stay in cold, snowy weather. She observed a samurai captain, evident by the wolf pelt hanging off of his back, walk up to their party.

"We have been waiting for you, the Hokage has yet to arrive but my patrols outside say they have seen them coming so you shouldn't have to wait too long. Please follow me to the meeting room." Naruto and Mei looked at one another and shrugged before following the man up a winding amount of stairs, coming to a stop before a heavily guarded hallway and large oak doors.

"This is the room." The captain nodded to either guard on each side and they pulled the handles with all their might, leaving the doors to slowly open. "You may rest assured, you are in good hands here. I wish you luck during your meeting, Kiri-san." Silently thanking the man, the trio walked inside to be greeted by the people inside already.

"Welcome to the summit Mizukage-sama, please have a seat in front of your countries banner." The apparent moderator announced, motioning for her place to sit. "Your bodyguards may walk up the stairs there to the higher platform, there are seats for them right behind the flag." Naruto didn't like the idea of the bodyguards being that far from the leader but said nothing.

His eyes widened when he felt something wet hit his lips and turned to see Mei kissing his cheek, smiling as she pulled away. Smiling towards her, he gave her a quick peck before looking towards the Kage already present. Naruto immediately spied Gaara first, the red head was easy to spot; they both simply waved at one another with smiles.

Naruto then turned to look at the Raikage but was stopped when he was given a bone crushing hug by the man, courtesy of his amazing strength. The man was crying tears of joy for seeing the boy again, the one who had saved Yugito and allowed his brother to rap in someone else' ear all day.

"Naruto! I have missed you, I was wondering if you would be able to attend, we still have that wrestling match that we must attend to! Kiri is going down!" He accentuated the challenge by giving Naruto a double thumbs-down, Naruto just laughed at him.

"I don't think so, if I can wrestle a giant crocodile, I think I can wrestle _you_." Naruto was referring to the time where he was training out amongst the island chains of Kiri when a _huge_ crocodile attempted to eat him. His only real way to beat it was to use a Rasengan, which barely scratched it but satisfied it none the less; Naruto figured it had an itch that the technique was able to scratch.

"We will see my young friend, we will see." A patted Naruto's shoulder before walking back over to his seat, allowing Naruto to make his way up to the platform.

Naruto looked to his left and found Kankuro and Temari looking at him with pure amazement, the second time they had seen him since three years ago. Naruto faintly noticed that Temari was uncharacteristically blushing and Kankuro was smirking like a madman.

"Hey Naruto, didn't think I would see you here." Naruto turned the black-clad shinobi.

"Yeah well, I wasn't about to let my fiancee go somewhere without my supervision." Temari lost her blush after that, unfortunately remembering he was taken.

"Yeah I-" Kankuro stopped talking when the doors opened and Tsunade Senju, the Godaime Hokage of Konohagakure walked into the room with Sakura Haruno and Kakashi Hatake. The Iron moderator welcomed them and sent the two bodyguards up to their place while Tsunade made her way to the head of the oddly shaped table.

Kakashi walked past Naruto with a mere nod and Sakura gently laid her hand on his shoulder as he walked by, sending him a reassuring wink. Naruto smiled back at her and observed the start of the meeting between the Five Shinobi Nations.

"Now that all of the participants have arrived, please place your hats on the table." All the Kage did as asked, allowing the man to continue. "You are here today because the Hokage has called this meeting."

The Kage glanced at one another before staring at Tsunade who did not even flinch at their suspicious attention towards her.

"My name is Mifune of the Land of Iron, and I will be your moderator. The meeting will now begin."

The Kage glanced at one another, wondering who would start the so far awkward meeting between them. Gaara quietly sighed in his head, this would get them nowhere if they could not speak so he cleared his throat, getting everyone's attention.

"I'll go first, so listen up." Onoki scoffed, the boy had a lot of nerve to take the lead when he had so little experience in not just being a village leader but being in the ninja world.

"The roster of Kage sure has changed since I last saw all of you. You in particular Kazekage must be very unique if they gave you that position at such a young age. Your father must have had a hand in that, however, it appears he forgot to teach you manners when amongst your _elders_." Onoki rebuked the boy, noticing with a grimace he didn't seem to change much from the rebuttal.

Gaara mulled this over, not really seeing a way to please the older man other than agree.

"I suppose so..I would expect that my people judged me well enough before they elected me to be a Kage." Onoki broke out into a fit of laughter, much to everyone's annoyance.

"Hahaha! Very cheeky of you brat!" Mei butted in to the old man's fun, she was tired of them not getting anything done.

"Tsuchikage, please stop interrupting in the middle of another person's speech." Mei turned her head towards Gaara, waving a hand towards him. She could see what looked to be hidden gratefulness and smiled. "Kazekage, please continue.."

"I am a current host..but I have come close to be killed by Akatsuki because of what I hold inside of me. Naruto, the Mizukage's blond bodyguard in the stand is also a jinchuuriki, he can also attest to the level of danger Akatsuki represents." A few glances were sent towards Naruto and a few mumbles between one another about the argument.

"After my capture by Akatsuki and rescue at the hands of Naruto, I quickly requested support from other countries as Tsunade has done, I however was met with no aid. With a great number of hosts remaining at our last estimates, we may still be able to contain Akatsuki before they get any more power." Onoki scoffed once again at the boy's comment.

"Containment? A country should be able to look after it's own hosts if it wants to keep them. If it can't, then it is obviously not deserving of being called one of the Five Great Shinobi Nations. It is an embarrassment if you would ask for aid after their capture, it shows weakness and a sense of little honor." Gaara was angered after that as was Mei, how old was this man really?

"_Says the man that had both his jinchuuriki hosts captured without doing a damn thing about it."_ Naruto whispered in the stands, his hands clenching in anger.

Kurotsuchi watched him from the other side of the platform carefully, sizing him up as a possible opponent to attempt to kill the Tsuchikage.

"My appearance...my honor...I believe that we all have no time for such old fashioned thinking, not anymore." Onoki gritted his teeth at the boy's insult.

_'Little brat..'_

Mei decided to join in again, using her knowledge of the previous Mizukage to base her assumptions.

"Surely we must not need to act with such haste? It must take time to tame such beasts of pure chakra, who in the world could possibly have that ability anymore?"

Onoki looked up towards Naruto and then back to Gaara, both looked at him curious as to what he was thinking.

"A host must be in sync with the beast to subdue and ultimately control it. Even then, it is still difficult to control the chakra that flows through you..right Kazekage?"

Gaara was silent, not from embarrassment but from his general lack of knowledge on the subject. Naruto knew it would be frowned on, but he felt like he should say something.

"I mean no disrespect everyone.." Naruto felt his face become a bit red when everyone turned toward him, obviously wondering what he wanted to add; Naruto swallowed. "But my friend Gaara has always had difficulty controlling his beast, or at least that is what he has told me." Onoki looked back to Gaara who was silent for a moment before nodding his head in agreement to Naruto's explanation.

"What have you to add, Naruto?" Tsunade asked her 'grandson', Naruto smiled while scratching the back of his head.

"Well since Killer Bee isn't here, I felt that I should just clarify the Tsuchikage's statement since I too can control my beast to such a level of full nine tails." There were gasps all around, it was amazing to think that the nine tails had finally been subdued, no less by a mere teenager.

"Are you serious?!" A asked after shooting up from his chair, his hands clenching in excitement.

"Yes sir, and it is true that it is difficult to control the beast, a level of..bonding and trust is needed with your tailed beast in order to truly reach that level. I can only guess that it is very difficult for Gaara to get along with his beast, let alone contact it. Kyuubi can be a little..bloodthirsty but-" Onoki interrupted him, in shock that the beasts could talk.

"You mean that you can _talk _to it? It speaks human?" Naruto nodded, not seeing what the big deal was.

"My god.." Tsunade muttered.

"This certainly reveals much and also raises many new questions..questions to be asked at a later time. For now, we must refocus our attention on Akatsuki." Mifune ordered, bringing everyone back to the original point of the meeting, Mei winked towards Naruto before turning back around.

"We must use this to our advantage! If we can talk to the damn things, it means we might be able to _persuade _them to our side as well, our armies would be unstop-" Onoki stopped himself from his ramble by a sense of danger coming from his left.

Naruto sensed it as well, looking towards Chojuro to give him the order. Everyone else was already moving to protect their kage from one another.

"Chojuro, let's go!"

"Right!"

The Raikage slammed his fist onto the table in anger, prompting the bodyguards to form up in front of their kage in a protective fashion against the Lightning ninja.

Naruto had his hands in the dog hand sign, his mouth slightly bulging with the lava building up for an attack; Chojuro had his sword out and pointed towards the Raikage, an uncharacteristic scowl set on his features.

Sakura had her fists raised in an X brawling style to defend both herself and her master; Kakashi was charging up a chidori with his sharingan already revealed and glaring dangerously at the kage.

Kurotsuchi had a kunai prepared and stood beside her large partner Akatsuchi, both were in front of the two Kumo bodyguards challenging them to move an inch towards the Tsuchikage.

Temari and Kankuro stood the farthest away, Kankuro had his main puppet revealed while Temari shielded Gaara with her war fan. Both were glaring at the man's supposed attempt to hurt their little brother.

C and Darui stood their ground, kunai and butcher sword in their hands respectively. A had not been expecting such a quick move and stood there, huffing from both annoyance and shock.

"This is neutral ground, please refrain from such emotional outbursts here." Mifune warned the Raikage who just sat back down in his seat after waving his bodyguards away.

"Naruto-koi, Chojuro, it's fine now." Mei told them, she had a small smirk and was quite amused by the exchange. She also had a tint of pink on her cheeks from the thought of Naruto coming to her rescue so quickly, her knight in shining armor so to speak.

_'I am hopeless..and I love it.'_

"Sakura, Kakashi, that was a wonderful reaction but please sit back down." Kakashi nodded and headed back up but Sakura was hesitant to leave. Only a serious gaze from her master made her go back up without further argument.

"Temari, Kankuro, it's over." The siblings reluctantly parted from the floor, none too pleased the Kage were so forgiving.

Onoki merely motioned for his two guards to head back up, neither wishing to disrespect him.

"Yes sir.." Akatsuchi seemed a bit disappointed there would be no fight but heeded his order. Soon all the bodyguards were settled in the stands, albeit it was much more tense between them.

"I hate to admit this but it is necessary so we all know where we stand. Iwa, Kiri, Suna, and even my Konoha have or had members in the Akatsuki, something that shouldn't be overlooked." Tsunade ground out, she was not pleased by the piece of information. The mentioned kage merely looked down a bit in shame but said nothing, A was silently smirking at how his village was the only 'pure' one.

"Further, there are those among you who have used Akatsuki to further your countries _selfish_ gains!" A announced after Tsunade's revelation, his temper getting the better of him.

Onoki made a sideways glare towards the blond, one of which was readily returned by the younger man.

"Used Akatsuki..what do you mean?" Gaara asked incredulously, how does one 'use' Akatsuki? Weren't they a group that kidnapped jinchuuriki, plain and simple?

"I have thought about the real reason of why the Hokage has called us all here and I have come to the conclusion that while I don't trust any of you personally, I do trust one person here. Naruto!" Naruto was shocked that he was once again being pulled into the conversation, everyone's eyes were back on him.

"I trust Naruto! If it wasn't for his help, Yugito would not be among the living and Akatsuki would be one tailed beast stronger. As for my brother Killer Bee, from what I hear they have become great friends with one another, if the nine swords on his back are any proof. Even my hunters have enjoyed his company and support, so I pledge that I will help the Jinchuuriki, _not_ the country." Everyone took a moment to soak his proclamation in, Naruto included.

He was truly honored to be recognized like that, by the Raikage no less.

"That is acceptable, but what do you mean by using Akatsuki?" Gaara cut back in, he was still in shock over the idea.

A turned to look towards him and pointed an accusing finger to the Kazekage, a glare marred his features.

"Your in this high of a position of power and yet you don't know?! Speak to your village elders for the truth! You used Akatsuki in the invasion of Konoha!" Everyone's eyes widened in recognition, Orochimaru.

"The nations of the world are moving towards peace, through pressure of the lords of our countries, disarmament is beginning to take it's toll. Such a thing as a ninja village is a strain on any economy, no matter how powerful the nation. The more ninja you have, the less money you make and our lords care about _money_. To this end, we have less and less ninja recruitment and no one to replace the veterans going into retirement." Onoki explained to the audience, reflecting his own village's problems as he spoke.

"You can't send a battalion of green ninja right out of the academy to go to war, _you would lose_. So what do you do? You find an alternative, and that alternative happened to be-"

"Akatsuki!?" Gaara seethed, his anger rising at the proposal of using that organization for such selfish means.

Onoki merely shrugged, remembering his dealings with the young woman named Konan if he was remembering correctly. It was simple, pay the fee and the job would get done.

"They were accessible to us, relatively cheap compared to the job's difficulty and the job _always_ got done with good results." A turned towards him, intent on having his opinion known.

"That was what I meant, you shouldn't be bragging about using that damned organization Tsuchikage!" Onoki merely huffed in his chair, leading A to become more pissed.

"Akatsuki was used in Suna's war with Konoha, Orochimaru." A finished his original thought, Tsunade decided to butt in with her own Intel from Jiraiya.

"It is unclear whether he was still in Akatsuki at that time Raikage!" A merely glanced in her direction with crossed arms, stating his defiance.

"Both the Kazekage and Hokage died during that conflict.." Mei whispered, although it was picked up by everyone in the room; they bowed their heads in respect to the lost.

"Yes..and I can't help but feel that something about it isn't right." A mumbled, stroking his beard in thought.

"While I hate to do this, mostly for Naruto's sake, it is true that Kirigakure has been rumored to be the so-called 'seat of Akatsuki'. You are by far the most suspicious amongst the gathered nations here, your hasty treaty with Suna and talks with Konoha mean nothing to serve your strange isolation from the world." A accused, silently apologizing to Naruto who was seething in the stands, feeling horrible he could do nothing to take the guilt from Mei's shoulders.

Mei glanced up at Naruto, sending him a smile before turning back to the accusation.

_'I'm sorry Naruto, but for once I must shoulder this responsibility on my own. You will understand once you become the leader of the clan, sometimes you must take the burden for yourself.'_

"Actually..there is a popular belief that my predecessor, Yagura, was controlled by someone. It could have been Akatsuki, but I didn't want to start a panic with an investigation. However-" Mei was interrupted by an irate A.

"You mean to tell me that you knew and willingly-" The angered man was then interrupted by Onoki who was determined to set the youngster straight.

"You leave her alone about this Raikage! It is because of you and your country that some of us have had to resort to using Akatsuki to keep ourselves afloat! Your country did not disarm after the last major war, forcing us to compensate with the impossible!" Mei took that as a sign to continue before A interrupted again.

"I was about to say that I believe that Akatsuki's leader and the manipulator behind Yagura's manipulation was none other than Madara Uchiha!" Everyone was shocked at this, Madara Uchiha? How was he still alive after all this time?

"I thought he was dead.." Onoki muttered, Mei also noticed Tsunade nodding her head a bit in recognition.

"I am not sure I understand the possibility either, but our source has been confirmed." As they were deciding what next to speak about, Mifune decided to step in and give his opinion.

"As the neutral country here, I must say that this Madara knew right when to strike at our weakness." The kage turned their attention to the center table where Mifune sat.

"He used the knowledge of the disarmament and decreasing escalations to reveal himself so that we couldn't refuse. Not even the Land of Iron has been immune."

"To have all five of the kage here though, it provides us with a golden opportunity that has never been proposed before." The kage looked at one another, already guessing at what was going on.

"What do you think of a five-nation shinobi alliance?"

"An alliance?!"

"That's a bit of a quick jump from talking, don't you think?"

"..."

"You can't be serious, work with one another?"

"It's..not such a bad idea actually." Everyone's eyes turned to Tsunade for her differing opinion.

"With Akatsuki becoming more of a threat and possibly a true doomsday scheme on their agenda, we must consider working together to quickly end the threat." The kage glanced between each other again, wary eyes caste back and fourth.

"We need a command structure, so we can be clear on who is in charge."

"That's the question though..who would be in charge?" Onoki muttered, not exactly liking the idea of taking orders from someone.

"We must allow the neutral party to choose, lest we fight with one another." Mei added, she wasn't in the mood for more arguing.

"All nations other than Iwa and Konoha still have a tailed beast, leaving those two countries at a slight disadvantage in strength." Tsunade and Onoki clenched their teeth, hating to sound weak in front of the other kage.

"Kiri is too dangerous to trust fully with the possible origins of Akatsuki stemming from their nation, information leaks could become rampant and communication would be sporadic at best." Mei looked down in shame, Naruto's features became more pronounced and his eyes flashed red.

_'Not to mention she is a woman.'_ Mifune added as an afterthought in his mind.

"Suna's leader is too young to be taken seriously in a commanding position, many find it hard to address him by his current title." Gaara merely nodded, he understood and would prefer not to have the position anyway.

"Kumo would be a fine choice if not for their leader's unpredictable attitude with his emotions.." Mifune pointed out the busted table for an example. "Spurring men into battle with a fine speech and emotion in your tone is one thing but if you can't keep calm in a simple talk such as this, how can you expect to be taken seriously?" A merely growled, Mifune decided to restate his position as moderator.

"This is only my opinion of course."

"Konoha and Iwa both have had or used Akatsuki members with their villages, also as I said before both are at significant disadvantages without jinchuuriki on their side."

"So what exactly are you gett-" A was interrupted when someone or _something_ burst through the floor in the middle of their meeting table, a loud 'hello!' echoed throughout the room.

The bodyguards quickly took up spots in front of their kage, Naruto opted to take his swords out this time instead to defend Mei.

"What the hell?!" A proclaimed, quite angered by the interruption.

"Akatsuki?!" Gaara asked to no one in particular, not familiar with this particular member.

"It appears so.." Onoki muttered again, glaring at the new arrival.

"oohhh..look at the two jinchuuriki here, boss will sure be pleased!" Naruto and Gaara received concerned glances from the party around them, both shifted into more defensible positions in case he was here to take them.

The plant man seemed to just remember something, slapping his head in punishment.

"Oh yeah I almost forgot to announce my boss's arrival, he is here along with his apprentice and he has something he wishes to say.."

-

I liked this chapter, both with Kyo's rousing speech and the slightly different-than-canon kage summit so far. Next chapter will conclude it with a chilling message to the Kage from Madara and Mei and Naruto's fateful return to a troubled homeland.

Please review and don't forget to check my profile for voting if you like the idea of a NaruxSamui please vote!

Bye Bye

REVIEW!


	18. Party Crashers and Rivals Clash!

Uzumaki Clan's Rebirth

Chapter 18

Party Crashers and Rivals Clash!

**Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO!**

"speaking"

_'thinking'_

"**Jutsu**"

**"Tailed Beast Speak"**

NaruxMei

**BLOODLINE WARNING**: Naruto uses **Lava** and **Boil** Release in this story. He has three elements in total because of his bloodlimit, Fire, Water, and Earth.

Hey everyone, just thought I would give a little plug for the poll on my profile. Please check it out and vote on your opinion of Samui, the ice queen hottie of Kumo!

-

_Land of Iron_

_Castle of Iron_

_Kage Summit_

Everyone's eyes widened at that, Madara was here?! A moved quicker than anyone in the room, quickly latching onto the man's neck with his strong grip. White Zetsu grimaced, the man's strength was astounding.

"Where is he?! Where is Madara Uchiha?!" Whispers spread amongst those gathered in the room during A's interrogation of the Akatsuki.

"Madara's apprentice? Who is that?" Mei questioned, wondering who the man could possibly choose as a successor.

Naruto shifted uncomfortably, having a bad feeling about just who this 'apprentice' was. Chojuro was too young to remember Madara from anything other than a textbook and just remained in a defensive position near the Mizukage.

"Naruto! Do you think his apprentice could be.." Gaara began to question him, not bothering to name the person; Naruto looked at the red head before looking down at the ground, slowly nodding his head.

The other sand siblings just looked at their brother for guidance, not understanding what he meant.

"Madara Uchiha? Wasn't he from Konoha?" Kurotsuchi asked the Tsuchikage who strummed his beard in thought.

"Yes, he was the leader of the Uchiha at the time of Konoha's founding I believe. When the position of Kage was given to the slug queen's grandfather instead, he went off to Kiri." Tsunade glared over towards the Tsuchikage for the nickname to which Onoki only smirked.

A tuned out their voices, only focusing on the puny plant man that he held in the palm of his hands. To his annoyance, the man was actually smiling even though he was in such a predicament. Slightly tightening his grip, A made his voice be known throughout the room, silencing everyone.

"Tell me where he is! If you don't I won't go easy one you." Zetsu seemed to ponder this as everyone looked at him, expecting him to talk.

"Well..I suppose I could give you a hint.." Zetsu was stopped from talking further when the man's hand suddenly crushed his wind pipe, effectively cutting off his only way to breathe or speak.

A was fuming with anger that the man was so stubborn, his body shook from his intense emotions. Mei glared at the large buffoon of a man that stood before her, what was he thinking?

A turned around and looked at his pale-skinned bodyguard, C.

"C, let's get started! I want him found now!" C nodded, bringing his hands up into a ram hand sign to better help him concentrate.

"Yes sir!" Mei decided to speak up, still angry over what the man did to the Akatsuki member.

"Why did you kill him? If you had captured him, we could have interrogated him for info about the Akatsuki." Gaara addressed her instead of the angry Raikage.

"Akatsuki members don't talk nor betray the organization, they are all too loyal." Mei backed up on her accusations after that, deciding it was a lost cause anyway.

The moderator had observed the interaction between the shinobi calmly from his desk, deciding now was the time to get the situation under control. He turned towards his personal advisers and bodyguards, Okisuke and Urakaku, giving them orders.

"Okisuke, Urakaku, order everyone on full alert and to begin conducting searches throughout the perimeter for Madara Uchiha." His eyes narrowed to slits as he stared at the Akatsuki corpse in front of him, whispering the last part of his orders. "_And to prepare for battle._"

"Yes sir!" They saluted, beginning to take control of the legion of samurai patrolling the castle.

A moved towards the wall of the room in a heartbeat, bringing his fist back and punching straight through the stone barrier. Everyone's eyes widened by the man's spontaneity, they had no idea what he was planning on doing.

"C, Darui, let's go! We are going to search every inch of this castle until we find him! The rest of you kage should stay here, you will only get in my way!" With that, the man ran out through the large hole in the wall while his bodyguards lagged behind for just a few seconds.

"Sorry about the table..and the wall!" Darui exclaimed before getting dragged along by C who was determined to catch up to his leader.

Naruto and the others somewhat relaxed their guard, sensing the immediate danger over. Naruto took up a place right beside Mei who chose to stay in her seat for the time being. Chojuro got down from his crouching place on the table to stand on Mei's other flank, his sword holstered for now.

Onoki just shook his head condescendingly towards the brash Raikage, staying in his comfortable chair as well.

"How rude that youngster is! He always has been an unruly child, seems like it has carried over to him being a kage as well."

Urakaku, a balding man with a scarf covering the lower part of his face, lifted up a part of the scarf and clicked his communicator.

"Everyone, prepare for battle and search the grounds for Madara Uchiha. I want three platoons guarding the tower's entrance!" He received multiple 'rogers' and 'affirmatives' from the Samurai squad leaders throughout the castle.

The shadow of a figure slithered along the ceiling, looking at all of the kage and bodyguards. It was also listening to the conversations, especially interested in the recent orders given to the samurai legions. Believing now would be a good time to report to his master, the figure slowly sunk _through_ the wall and back to the lower levels of the tower.

-

_Castle of Iron_

_Ground Level_

_Balcony_

A masked man stood on a balcony overlooking the welcoming area for the building, the orange swirl mask hid his face from the boy who stood beside him. They both wore Akatsuki robes over their clothing and both had their sharingan revealed.

"Looks like they are on the move." Madara noted, the movement of samurai had picked up since the last five minutes he had sent Zetsu to the upper level to alert the kage of his presence.

The boy only grunted, the smirk on his face did not seem to want to go away. Madara glanced towards Sasuke, his apprentice, wondering why he was smiling so much now.

"Why are you smiling boy?" Sasuke looked at him with his new eyes, courtesy of a dead Itachi Uchiha.

"I have been given a new power thanks to my dead brother, one that I can use to destroy my enemies, destroy Naruto!" Madara only shook his head and sighed, this boy wanted too much revenge on people he had no idea whether he could beat or not.

Since the boy's induction, Madara had quickly learned the extent of his hate towards Itachi and his goal to kill him. With a promise of allowing him to kill Itachi, Madara easily gained his apprentice's trust. Now anyone could tell that at his current level, Sasuke stood no chance against his older brother, so Madara trained him before they fought.

Sasuke quickly grew impatient though and insisted that he recall Itachi so that Sasuke could kill him, so he did just that. Madara and Zetsu personally observed the battle and watched the two brothers fight it out. While he performed quite well to Madara's expectations, Sasuke was eventually forced on the defensive and Madara realized it was only a matter of time before the boy was defeated.

Placing Sasuke under a genjutsu using his own Mangekyo, Madara dispatched Itachi himself and took the man's eyes for his bargaining chip. When Sasuke awoke from the genjutsu, he was under the belief that _he_ had placed the final blow on Itachi and not Madara, who was happy to allow the boy to believe that.

After promising him power beyond his dreams and the ability to bring the Uchiha back to greatness, Madara transplanted Itachi's eyes to Sasuke, giving him the power of the Mangekyo.

"Well you aren't ready to use your new power yet, it's barely been a week since the transplant and you still can't harness the ameterasu flames correctly, let alone quench them. You should go play with the samurai and provide a wonderful distraction for me while I talk to the Kage." Sasuke frowned and said nothing, his sharingan swirling angrily.

Madara glared right back at the boy, moving at lightning quick speeds and pushing him against the wall behind them. He gripped the boy's cloak and kept him still as his eye bore into Sasuke's, demanding power and respect for the old ninja.

"Do you understand that Sasuke?" He asked with a cold, warning tone; Sasuke glared but nodded, knowing he could do nothing against Madara..yet.

Zetsu chose this as his moment to arrive, quickly taking in the scene of Madara holding Sasuke to a wall. The man wanted to smirk at the surprise on their faces but chose the option that would allow him to keep his head, reporting to his leader.

"Leader-sama, I have alerted the kage of your presence. I should also warn you of the samurai and Raikage, both parties are looking for you right now." Madara seemed to ponder this, hesitating for a moment with his hold over Sasuke.

Sensing the man's focus taken away, Sasuke broke free of him and jumped off the balcony. Madara and Zetsu leaned over the side to watch what he was doing. The boy moved slowly towards the center of the welcoming area, the exact place where over twenty samurai were guarding.

Madara shook his head again in disappointment but knew that no matter how he did it, Sasuke would defeat the men down there with his current power level. He turned towards Zetsu who seemed to be captured by the sight that was developing below him.

"Zetsu, stay here with Sasuke as I meet with the kage upstairs. If the Raikage comes after him, make sure he stays alive." Zetsu smiled and saluted his leader who soon disappeared in a swirl of chakra.

Letting his leader's absence sink in for only a moment, Zetsu went straight over to the edge of the balcony and continued to watch the growing conflict.

_'I wonder how much punishment Sasuke can take before I have to rescue him?'_

-

_Castle of Iron_

_Ground Level_

Sasuke strode up to the battalion of samurai who stood before him, a murderous smirk dead set on his features. The samurai looked to one another and their squad leaders, not sure what to make of the young man that stood in front of them now.

The captain of the samurai forces walked to the forefront of their line, the men giving respect by parting their crowd for him. Sasuke looked at him with little interest, the only difference of this samurai was the wolf pelt on his back, nothing else seemed special about him.

The captain held up a hand signaling Sasuke to halt, and to humor the man, he did just that.

"State your business here Uchiha-san! This is neutral ground and the Hokage has already brought the two allowed bodyguards inside with her, you should not be here. Leave now before we are forced to apprehend and detain you!" Sasuke's smile never left his face, something that angered the captain more than anything.

"You obviously don't know much about what goes on outside of your country do you? As you can tell by this cloak, I am a member of Akatsuki." The samurai suddenly went on the defensive, taking out their swords and formed a staggered line in front of the Uchiha. "And since you can't see a headband, it obviously means I'm not affiliated with Konoha any longer. Now then.." Sasuke threw off his cloak, revealing a new outfit of his Madara had given him.

It was comprised of a black suit, similar to the one Madara wore underneath his cloak. He had two plate guards just like Madara's that ran from his hips down to his lower legs. Sasuke patted his chest armor that covered him front and back, neck to groin and was made of the same design and material as his leg guards. The samurai were a bit intimidated by this, not expecting a ninja to wear any type of armor.

The captain stood resolute though, he had fought ninja before, armor or no and still defeated them through both strength of mind and body.

"Stand firm men! We will show this Uchiha how the samurai welcome uninvited guests!" The samurai looked at their captain in awe and cheered, raising their swords high up into the air for victory.

Sasuke watched them celebrate before the battle even started, pathetic if you asked him.

_'I will just have to teach them how superior the Uchiha are.'_

"Are you done?" Sasuke asked the men who were beginning to calm down from their early celebrating, leading to a deadly quiet room.

The samurai began to stiffen, their hands clenching around their sword hilts. Sasuke watched in interest as the chakra in their bodies slowly connected and engulfed the blades, leading them to be enveloped in a blue chakra cloak.

Zetsu and Sasuke were silently amazed by the skill these non-shinobi had in manipulating chakra.

_'I'm surprised that samurai can do that..'_

"Surprised? We samurai of the Land of Iron are far more disciplined than a major nation's troops, we have gone toe-to-toe with _legions_ of shinobi for the independence of our nation and have won before!" The captain announced, angry at Sasuke's indifference towards them.

"I was actually a bit surprised, but it doesn't matter now. You may have faced so-called legions of shinobi before, but you have _never_ fought against me, Sasuke Uchiha! Sole inheritor of the Uchiha clan's kekkei genkai, the sharingan!"

"Enough of this meaningless talk, destroy him!" The samurai obeyed their leader's order, jumping towards Sasuke and launching crescents of chakra from their blades, shaped similar to their swords.

Sasuke smirked, gathering up lightning chakra into his blade, he blocked each strike that came too close. The samurai watched in mute horror as their attack was defeated so easily. The captain analyzed the boy as he finished up with their attack, the wall behind him littered in craters and marks where their attacks missed or were deflected.

_'A lightning affinity? It explains why he was able to defeat our attack so easily..looks like we will have to try something else.'_

Before he could order the men to change their tactics, Sasuke charged forward and sliced the man beside the captain. Blood sprayed onto his armor and Sasuke's face as the boy went on a rampage throughout their line, slicing right through their thick armor like it was butter.

Ordering his men to fall back, the captain moved to defend the one obvious way up to the kage meeting room, the staircase. Sasuke had only taken down six when he noticed the remaining 24 samurai had fallen back in front of a door. Knowing that it was only a matter of time, Sasuke started to slowly walk towards the men, relishing in the occasional nervous twitch or gesture they would exhibit.

-

_Castle of Iron_

_2nd Level_

A, C, and Darui were running through a corridor searching for Madara Uchiha. They had already checked the previous floors and were running out of places to look. The group's mood, especially the Raikage's, had started to deteriorate since they began their search. The frustration of not finding the man had gotten to the ill-tempered kage and it was now showing with the man's tense disposition.

C was keeping an eye out for strange chakra when he felt something, or more like lost the feeling of something. Reaching out with his mind, C noticed that six chakra sources had disappeared one level below them. He could only guess that the samurai had encountered their target or other Akatsuki members and were losing.

"Sir, I can feel chakra sources disappearing, it has to be Akatsuki!" A glanced towards him, his face contorted in frustration and anger.

"Which way?!" Darui glanced towards his Raikage, the man was definitely too excited and wound up.

"Directly below us!"

A stopped running and looked downward, anticipating the battle in his mind already. Bringing up his fist, he brought the roof crashing down the occupants of the level below before jumping down with his two bodyguards.

-

_Castle of Iron_

_Ground Level_

Sasuke had just reached the middle of the room when he felt the ground shake beneath him and heard a distinct cracking of stone. Looking upwards, he watched as the ceiling caved in from an unseen force, forcing him to jump away from the center. The samurai looked upwards to find their savior, the Raikage and his men falling to the ground.

The captain was relieved, even he knew that his men stood little chance against Sasuke; they were merely there to buy time.

A hit the ground and looked around to see a boy in armor with a sword out. He noticed the red eyes of the sharingan and knew this to either be Madara or one of his men. Darui looked behind him to check on the samurai, relieved to see that most were still alive. C merely glared at the Uchiha, he had caused the samurai and the kage much grief and it was time he be made to pay.

"You! Are you Madara Uchiha?!" A questioned Sasuke, pointing an accusing finger towards the young boy. Sasuke's eyes widened and his mouth gaped in surprise before moving back to a smirk, a guttural howl of laughter erupting from his throat.

A's hands clenched in anger as did C's, who was this boy that would dare laugh at the Raikage? Darui merely looked at the boy with confusion, what the hell was his problem?

_'Attacking these men on his own? He is either very powerful or very cocky..seeing his age I would say the latter.'_

"HAHAHA! You actually believe me to be that old man? Hardly! I am his apprentice, Sasuke Uchiha! That will change someday though, I will be the master soon enough!"

"Why you little brat! I'll teach you to disrespect me!"

Sasuke took a breathe to calm himself before launching himself at the man, intent on testing his power against one of the great Kage!

Zetsu observed from the balcony, wondering whether to laugh at or pity the boy for his stupidity.

_'He just won't stop, who the hell launches themselves at a Kage?'_

A enveloped himself in lightning chakra, effectively shielding his attack from any attack Sasuke could launch. Darui, observing Sasuke ready his katana with lightning chakra, quickly went through hand signs before shooting a concentrated stream of water at Sasuke.

"**Water Release: Water Encampment Wall!**" Just as Sasuke landed a few feet from the Raikage, the stream of water impacted him and forced him back and up into the air.

Sasuke glared at Darui as he was pushed away by the water, but his eyes widened when the man began to do additional hand signs and build up chakra in his hands.

C smiled at Darui's ability, it was one of the many reasons why he was chosen for bodyguard duty. The man was able to use both water and lightning release proficiently and at the same time. Having both elements also allowed him the ability of Storm Release, an uncommon Kekkei Genkai found in a few clans within Kumo.

"**Lightning Release: Wave of Inspiration!**" Lightning surged through the water, reaching Sasuke in mere seconds.

The blast of electricity shocked the Uchiha and made him cry out in pain. Realizing he was in trouble if he remained there, Sasuke broke free of the current and back flipped away from the three Kumo shinobi. He crouched low with his blade crackling with energy, he challenged them to come forward with a glare.

"Yo Boss, looks like this kid uses Lightning." Darui noted, A merely continued to watch the boy that glared at him.

"Watch it, the Uchiha are known to have a common affinity of fire. Be ready to make another suiton Darui!" C warned, remembering what he learned from his extra studies back in the village.

Zetsu continued to observe, silently applauding the Kumo ninja for their observations.

_'They have been fighting for only a few minutes and the two have already figured out his two affinities. What will you do now Sasuke?'_

The samurai watched in awe as the battle continued, they could sense the tension between these men. The captain moved his hand to a place right under his face mask, clicking his communicator.

"We have been attacked by a member of Akatsuki, the Raikage is currently engaging the enemy on the ground floor. Request assistance." He received an 'affirmative' from Urakaku, three additional battalions were being brought in from the perimeter to reinforce his men.

In the meantime, the captain continued to observe the battle of the titans wondering who would be the winner.

_'These are jounin that I'm fighting, including the Raikage. This could get very interesting..'_ Sasuke thought with a sick satisfaction.

C intended to wipe the grin from Sasuke's face with his technique, going through three hand signs to get it started.

"I'll stop him in his tracks! **Lightning Illusion Flash of Lightning Pillar!**" He announced, bringing Sasuke's attention over to him.

Sasuke observed the move with his sharingan, a blinding light forming in front of him which would stop him from being able to see.

_'An illusion? You will have to do better..'_

Sasuke prepared to break the genjutsu when the Raikage came plowing out from the thick screen of light, bringing his fist crashing into Sasuke's stomach. Realizing this was a genjutsu as well, Sasuke broke the genjutsu just in time to see Darui and the Raikage in front of him prepared to attack.

C silently applauded the sharingan's capabilities of seeing through the double illusion, not that it would matter for long.

Noticing he had awoken from the genjutsu, A decided to gloat before smashing the boy's head with his fist.

"You may have seen through the illusion, but it is too late!" Sasuke's eyes widened as A brought his fist down upon him in tandem with Darui's cleaver sword.

Knowing the kid was in too deep, Zetsu moved quickly to the ground below and pushed Sasuke out of the way. Darui stopped his sword swing and faced the new intruder but was momentarily disoriented by the Raikage's supercharged fist hitting the ground.

Sasuke glared at the new arrival, angered that the man thought him to be so weak as to need saving. Zetsu merely smirked towards the kid, he still had much to learn in the shinobi world.

"I don't need your help Zetsu! Get the hell out of here and crawl back into the ground where you belong!" Zetsu's eyes widened a bit at the insult but he nonetheless continued to smile, slowly sinking into the ground.

"Alright Sasuke, we will see how far you get without me to save you." Sasuke merely 'hmphed.' at the man's threat, choosing instead to watch the recovering Kumo shinobi.

The captain watched as the shinobi continued attack one another, breaking more and more of the castle floor with their antics.

_'These ninja are pretty rough..'_

Darui turned towards C who was hanging near the back of their formation, he was not a front line fighter like the Raikage or Darui.

"Oi C, track that guy will ya? I don't want this guy's friends to keep popping out of nowhere." C looked at his fellow jounin, weighing his options.

"Alright..but it will be difficult for me to concentrate on that task while fighting!" Darui merely shook his head, inclining his head towards the Raikage and Sasuke.

"The boss and I can handle this kid, don't worry about it." The blonde man nodded and closed his eyes concentration, feeling for the retreating Zetsu in the nearby chakra sources.

Zetsu kept moving around the room, not staying in one place so the boy would have trouble tracking him. From the interaction between the Kumo ninja and his own observations, it was obvious this 'C' was a sensor-type as well as an established genjutsu user.

_'This guy could become a little troublesome, looks like I'll have to kill him.'_

-

_Castle of Iron_

_Top Floor_

_Kage Summit_

The kage remained sitting in their seats, awaiting A's imminent arrival from his fruitless search. This was obviously not the case however as Mifune's advisor reported that the loud noises heard from the lower floors was actually a fight between an Uchiha and the Raikage. Naruto and Gaara both had a very good guess at who Madara's apprentice was before, this information sealed the deal; Sasuke was here.

Mifune's other bodyguard, Urakaku, inspected the corpse of Zetsu, seeing if he was really dead or not. The bodyguards merely stood beside their kage, not bothering to return to the upper platform with such a tense atmosphere now.

"We need to be prepared if Madara comes here, because if he has come for a fight, it will be a difficult one for us." Tsunade announced, bringing everyone's attention to her.

"If it comes down to that, I will fight Madara. His connection to the Massacres and the death of the previous Mizukage leads him to be a dangerous war criminal amongst Kiri shinobi." Mei said, making sure everyone knew that Kiri was ready to fight; Naruto and Chojuro merely nodded in agreement with their Mizukage.

"I agree with that, Urakaku, please request a double layer of guards in the corridor outside." The man at his side nodded in affirmation and began to speak into his communicator again.

"Hehe, all you youngsters are getting so worried about one man. No matter how powerful he is, Madara wouldn't dare fight all five kage at the same time, it is a death wish!" Onoki boasted, he had remained in his seat quietly until the kage began to talk about Madara coming up here.

"While we wait for the Raikage to return, I would like to question you all on our previous thought. Do you believe an alliance is the correct path? It seems unbelievable with the amount of conflict between your nations so far but, are you willing to give it a chance?" The Kage looked at Mifune and then at each other, processing the man's question.

"I believe it to be a necessity to prevent further war between us, such ideals have remained within our minds as children but slowly die as we grow old and bitter. Now that we have been presented with the idea together, and with a common enemy, we have a chance to make the future better for our children." Tsunade said to the others, believing the alliance would truly be a wonderful thing; Onoki merely scoffed.

"That sounds like a wonderful idea..but ideas and ideals take much time to come to fruition. If you are too hasty in the journey for the reward at your destination, you will easily make mistakes and lose sight of what you originally wanted to accomplish." Gaara spoke up after the old man, coming to defense of Tsunade.

"Haven't we had enough time to process this ideal? Decades of death and destruction have left a lasting impression on all people, civilian and shinobi alike. To decide to go on this road now is not a sign of haste..but a sign of progress." The kage listened to the boy's words, they were true as were Tsunade's.

"Hmph. Not like it matters anyway, we will be back at war soon enough if our daimyo have anything to say about it." Gaara decided to attack the old man for that comment.

"I can't accept your lack of faith in our determination. If we are all willing to sacrifice something for the ultimate greater good, that of peace, then what should we allow to stand in our way? Something this important will never be easy, it is something we will have to fight for, something we shinobi are good at." Onoki merely gave a hearty laugh, the boy had a way with words when he actually used them.

"Well spoken Kazekage." Mei commented, Naruto patted his friend on the back with a smile which was returned by the red head.

Before further talk could continue, a loud banging and impacts could be heard bringing all the shinobi present back up to a more defensive stance. Temari turned to her brother, wondering what they should do if Sasuke was able to arrive up there.

"Gaara, what should we do if Sasuke is able to make it up here? He is a traitor to Konoha and is now affiliated with Akatsuki." Gaara pondered it for a moment.

"Uchiha Sasuke huh..?" He whispered, pondering what to do.

Akatsuchi looked to the Tsuchikage, also wondering what to do in this situation.

"Tsuchikage-sama, what should we do? Prepare for battle?" Onoki looked up at the tall boy, playfully glaring at him.

"Of course not! What if my hips give out on me?" Akatsuchi held up his hands in defense and tried to apologize, Kurotsuchi had other plans though.

"Hey gramps, mind if I head down and check out the battle? I have never seen Akatsuki in action, let alone an Uchiha!" Onoki looked at the young woman, her excitement was practically oozing out of her to go and watch the fight; he ended up sighing in defeat.

"Do what you want! Just be sure to stay out of the Raikage's way..he might kill you on accident." She pumped her fist in victory.

"What do you want to do partner?" She asked Akatsuchi, he merely smiled and pointed towards the Tsuchikage.

"I had better stay here just in case his hips give out." She seemed a bit disappointed but was still excited about the fight.

Down below, the fight was becoming much more intense between Kumo and Akatsuki.

-

_Castle of Iron_

_Ground Level_

Sasuke tensed his body as the two sides glared at one another, waiting for the other to attack. He weighed his options, one of the guards had been taken out of the fight because he had to track Zetsu.

_'At least that fool was useful to me in some way.'_

The two he was fighting though were obviously the strongest though, the Raikage had yet to show his true power yet though. As far as Sasuke could tell, the large man used his lightning release to enhance his taijutsu moves, he also noticed the man had incredible speed and it was difficult for his sharingan to track.

Darui was a challenge both because he wielded a sword and because of his multiple elements. He had so far shown excellent ability with both lightning and water and had caused him much grief in the beginning of the battle.

Even with the odds stacked against him, Sasuke merely got more excited at the prospect of fighting against the impossible.

"I suppose it's time to get serious now that you are down a man." A and Darui glared at the Uchiha, mad that he was still gloating in his position.

"Don't push your luck boy!" A yelled out before launching himself toward Sasuke, appearing in front of the boy in just a few seconds.

His sharingan just barely detecting him in time, Sasuke sidestepped his power punch and attempted to slice through the man's rib cage only to have his sword repulsed by the lightning armor.

_'Lightning cannot defeat lightning, looks like I will have to try something else.'_

Sasuke ran through hand signs as he fell back away from the Raikage who was still orientating himself towards Sasuke's new position.

Compressing large amounts of heated fire chakra within his body, Sasuke shot them all out at the same time in the form of large dragons, all launched towards the Raikage. Realizing now was a good time to jump in, Darui leaped to the defense of the Raikage, going through a quick succession of hand signs and shooting out a gust of water.

"**Water Release:** **Water Encampment Wall!**" Sasuke glared at the man as his dragons slowly dissipated from view and became steam; he had forgotten about that one.

_'Not for long..'_

Using the confusion, Sasuke quickly created basic clones of himself and launched them in different directions. The Raikage took the bait and pursued the nearest one to him, however, C was unable to be fooled and watched as the real one headed towards Darui.

"Darui, look out! That's the real one!" The large sword user had just finished his jutsu when Sasuke reached him, bringing his face mere inches from Darui's, the man fell into the sharingan's trap.

Darui watched as the sharingan hypnotically swirled around, bringing a heavy darkness upon him.

_'Dammit, a genjutsu! And I fell for it..I can't even move.'_

C could only watch in horror as his partner fell to the ground in a heap, knocked unconscious by the jutsu. The Raikage had heard C's cry of warning and turned around on Sasuke, tying the boy up in close combat.

The blond bodyguard turned to the large congregation of samurai at the door, pointing over to his friend.

"Samurai! Get him to safety, I can't protect him while I-" C was unable to finish as Zetsu leaped out of the floor and launched a sudden attack on the medic, forcing him on the defensive.

The captain realized the man spoke the truth and quickly moved to get the man with a squad of his men. They retrieved the heavy body of Darui and brought him to the staircase where over forty samurai now protected.

C watched them carry Darui away, a feeling of relief showed as his shoulders sagged. He now could fight unhindered now that he didn't have to protect anyone. He back flipped away from Zetsu when he noticed that a multitude of clones were being created from the ground, leading there to be over a dozen of them now for C to fight.

Cracking his knuckles, C smirked and charged towards the Zetsu clones.

-

_Castle of Iron_

_Ground Level_

Sasuke and A charged towards one another, one with Chidori and another with a lightning-encased elbow. Sasuke used his sharingan again to predict the movement of the elbow and ducked below it, striking his chidori straight through the man's chest where his heart should be. A merely smirked in appreciation for the boy's attempt as the strike actually passed through his armor and grazed his skin.

"Using your lightning to increase the strength and penetration of your attack? That is Kakashi Hatake's move! To be able to get through my lightning armor is quite impressive indeed!" Sasuke was amazed the man was still talking, he was sure he had gotten him in the heart.

Feeling himself being lifted up, Sasuke was thrown above the Raikage and then brought smashing back down into the floor.

"**LIGER BOMB!**" A exclaimed as he brought Sasuke's head smashing down into the ground, creating a large crater in the center of the building.

The samurai watched in amazement as what they thought was the battle to be over. The captain especially was extremely impressed by the sheer power and destruction of the Raikage's technique.

_'So that was the rumored Ninjutsu Taijutsu of the Raikage, enhancing his Taijutsu with lightning enhanced Ninjutsu. I suppose I didn't need those reinforcements after all.'_

C and Zetsu had stopped fighting after the resounding impact, both looking over towards the battle. C smirked, the kid was good but no match for the Raikage.

"It's over, _you_ have lost." Zetsu merely gulped, Madara wouldn't be pleased if Sasuke died.

C ran over to Darui and got him into a sitting position before beginning to heal his wounds. Darui really couldn't move but he could still see.

"Yo C, did he get him?" C was about to say yes when he heard the Raikage yell in frustration. Turning to see what was going on, he saw Sasuke Uchiha on his feat and surrounded by some sort of.._rib cage_?!

_'What the hell is that?'_

The captain's eyes widened, the boy was still alive? He turned around to see his reinforcements had arrived and taken up positions behind him.

The Raikage backed away a bit from him, intensifying his armor's lightning charge.

_'Is this the power of the mangekyo sharingan?'_

Sasuke slowly stood up, looking around him in amazement by the power he had activated merely by panicked reflex. He only knew what it was called from Madara's explanation of his powers, the Susanoo. A defensive and offensive technique that would burn anything it touched and protect him from harm, a nigh unbreakable technique. While he didn't do it intentionally, Sasuke was nonetheless pleased with the outcome and smirked towards the Raikage.

"Now you see the true power of my sharingan!" The Raikage ignored the boy and continued to increase his outward chakra levels, enhancing his power to offset the boy's new found advantage.

C observed the two fighters, taking in what he saw and analyzing it.

_'That must be the mangekyo sharingan the kid has in his eyes. The Raikage is increasing his chakra levels so that he can counter the tracking ability with more speed, he is getting very serious.'_

His left eye bleeding from the exertion, Sasuke launched his most recently learned attack at the stationary Raikage, Ameterasu! Holding his place, the Raikage waited until the last second to dodge and sidestepped the attack, allowing it to harmlessly go past him and leaving Sasuke open to attack.

The blast hit an unsuspecting samurai, the captain ordered the men to put out the flames. C yelled out for them to stop before any reached the ailing man.

"Don't go near him, those aren't ordinary flames!" The samurai looked at him incredulously but did nothing as the man slowly burned to death.

_'The flames go wherever he looks, this is..'_

C was stopped from thinking further as the Raikage launched another attack, preparing to hit Sasuke again.

Knowing he could no longer keep up with the Raikage, Sasuke used his chakra reserves and placed black flames around his Susanno armor.

_'Damn! No matter where the Raikage hits him, Sasuke will be able to have an effective defense. He doesn't even have to keep up with him anymore.'_ C panicked, the Raikage couldn't get through this defense without getting hurt himself.

If the doomed samurai who was writhing on the ground was any idea of what ameterasu could do, the Raikage was in trouble if he touched the black flames. A was in no mood for negotiation though, the boy had lasted long enough and he had to finish the battle before Madara made an appearance.

His arm impacted the Susanno from behind, cracking and opening the 'unbeatable' defense Sasuke had erected around him. It came with a price, his lower left arm had now been caught by the black flames and threatened to engulf his entire arm and body.

Not finished yet, A jumped into the air and focused all his lightning and strength into his leg, bringing himself down upon the wounded and immobilized Sasuke.

"Now way..Raikage-sama.." C whispered, not believing that his leader willingly sacrificed his own arm to hit the kid.

"He just sacrificed his arm..whoa." Darui muttered, not believing it either.

Realizing he was in trouble and unable to reform the rib cage of Susanno in time, Sasuke again took the pain and activated his right and left eyes again. Black flames shaped as spikes reappeared in front of the downed Sasuke, creating one last obstacle for the Raikage to pass through if he wanted to hit the boy beneath.

A showed no signs of stopping however, knowing that this was maybe the one chance they had to defeat such a powerful opponent that could create a headache for them in the future. C and Darui's eyes widened, he was still going through with it?!

_'Raikage..you're going to risk your leg too?!'_

Before he could hit the shield of black flames, the Raikage was stopped by a slab of sand that blocked his foot instead. Both the samurai and bodyguards turned their attention to the middle of the room where Gaara had now revealed himself. The sand oozed out from the gourd on his back, signaling that it was in fact he who had interfered.

The Raikage quickly pushed away from Sasuke and landed near his bodyguards, glaring at the interruption.

"Gaara of the Sand..the Kazekage." Sasuke noted from his kneeling position in the crater of rubble, observing the new arrival.

Temari made her presence known with a quick attack launched by her war fan at Sasuke.

"**Wind Release: Scythe Weasel!**" Pockets of wind smashed into each other as they raced towards Sasuke, increasing their power by merging with one another.

Sasuke easily dodged the attack, he however realized that her plan was only to force him back and not really hurt him. Kankuro used his chakra strings to detach the burning samurai of his armor, effectively saving him from ameterasu.

"So that's ameterasu.." Kankuro noted as he threw the armor away from everyone.

"What the hell are you doing here Kazekage? If your answer isn't sufficient, I will not forgive you for your interruption!" Gaara merely glanced at the Raikage before continuing to stare at Sasuke.

"If you were to continue your attack, you would lose not only your arm but your leg too. Besides, I needed to talk to Sasuke.." The boy in question quirked an eyebrow, wondering what the Kazekage wanted with him.

The Raikage merely huffed and turned his attention to his arm, cutting it from the elbow down. He moved what was left of the hand towards C, indicating he heal it.

"Get to work on the bleeding C! As soon as you are done, I'll attack Sasuke again!" C stumbled a bit but quickly moved to begin healing his arm.

"Your eyes..they are like mine once were. The drive to kill those responsible for the problems and hatred in your life is still strong in your heart, as is your want for power." Sasuke merely listened to the boy, not really understanding what he was trying to say.

"You cannot solve problems through getting revenge for it will only bring on more suffering and more revenge. It is still not too late for you to end this and go back to Konoha." Kankuro decided to advise his brother on the lost cause.

"Gaara..Naruto already tried what you are trying to do. He failed back then, Sasuke's only grown further in his hatred since then." Temari was next.

"Besides, everyone who he has hurt or affected will call for his blood. By attacking this summit with Akatsuki, he has already signed his death wish. He has no future." Gaara closed his eyes for a moment, deciding to try one last time.

"Sasuke..even with darkness, there is always a sliver of light. Both of us have been in the darkness for so long, we both are able to see the light better than anyone, that is your chance." Sasuke smirked, coughing up some blood.

"I have long since given up looking for that annoying light. If darkness gives me what I want, then who am I to find an alternative?" That was it, Gaara knew he had lost him.

"Gaara.." Temari warned, Kankuro glanced at his brother and could see his indecision.

"This isn't personal Gaara, you are the Kazekage now."

A single tear fell from his eye, his attempt to bring someone back from the dark, someone precious to his friends and he had failed.

"Yeah..I know that!" The sand siblings launched their attacks at the same time while Sasuke struggled to stand up straight.

Sasuke defended himself once again with his ailing Susanno, the ribs were losing their color and size quickly from the brunt of the attacks. Gaara launched a sand strike against him but was blocked by ameterasu.

"I see you still have your ultimate defense Gaara." Sasuke noted, Gaara merely narrowed his eyes, bringing around another strike at Sasuke.

Darui got up finally, free from most of the genjutsu's effects. He ran to join the Suna party while C finished up with healing A's arm.

"Wait Suna! I'll help, let me attack first then follow up." The sand siblings merely nodded, Darui went through the correct hand signs and activated his kekkei genkai, Storm Release.

"**Storm Release: Laser Circus!**" A stream of lightning strikes spread from his hands and shot towards Sasuke like water, it was followed closely by the siblings' attacks.

Sasuke took the entire attack without moving, a large explosion ensued. A large cloud of dust blew towards everyone, making them cover their eyes as they looked to see if the attack had hit. Their eyes widened in horror as a large skeleton was revealed by the dissolution of the dust cloud, Sasuke stood right inside the rib cage, smirking.

"My absolute defense is still stronger though." He said with a laugh.

The samurai observed the towering monstrosity, never seeing anything like it before.

"What the hell is that thing!?" One yelled out, unable to contain his horror.

"Is this really his power..the power of darkness?" Gaara questioned, observing the thing before him.

"Only those who give themselves to darkness can attain this, the third power of the ultimate mangekyo sharingan, full Susanno!"

"Susanno?" Gaara questioned, never hearing the term before.

"So there is another power to the mangekyo sharingan?" Temari asked, getting confused with just what Sasuke could do with those eyes.

"That Uchiha always has something up his sleeve.." Kankuro noted, getting annoyed by his tenacity.

"Darui, Suna! You have to retreat!" C yelled out from his location beside the Raikage, they couldn't handle that things power; his sensor ability told him it was some dark power with immense chakra levels.

Instead of aiming for the shinobi with Susanno's arms, Sasuke targeted the pillars that held the roof together. Knowing the building layout the best, the samurai watched in horror as the pillars broke.

"If that keeps up the roof will cave!"

"We have to stop him somehow!"

It was too late however, the ceiling caved in and allowed a multitude of rocks to fall towards the hapless shinobi and samurai. Not knowing what to do, the samurai ran around in a panic attempting to avoid the falling objects.

In the confusion of the collapse, Sasuke collapsed the Susanno and was joined by an irate Zetsu who had to dodge falling rocks to get out.

"I think it's time we head up top to the kage Sasuke. Madara shouldn't be too long now and-" Sasuke ignored him at first, merely looking at his hands and clenching them. He could feel the strength flowing through him, he wanted more!

"Why bother? There is a wonderful fight down here and the Raikage obviously wants a piece of me." Zetsu sighed, he now had to play the trump card.

"You forget I'm a stickler for detail Sasuke. When I was up there, guess who I saw? Naruto Uzumaki!" Sasuke's eyes widened and he turned on Zetsu, gripping his throat tightly.

_'Not again..'_ Zetsu thought, having enough of being grabbed by the neck today.

"Take me to him..now!" Zetsu obliged him, anything to keep the kid alive until Madara was done with whatever he was doing.

The two left the scene right before the Raikage blasted through the rubble with his lightning imbued hand. C was now free as well and began searching for Darui and the Kazekage.

He found there was no need to though after seeing all four safe under a wall of sand.

"Sorry Kazekage." Darui muttered, their attack had failed and Gaara had been forced to protect him; the boy did not say anything back.

Looking around, Kankuro stated the obvious.

"Looks like Sasuke got away while we were distracted." A noticed as well, yelling at them to get a move on.

"We have to get him! He has information on Madara and Akatsuki!"

-

_Castle of Iron_

_Top Floor_

_Kage Summit_

The Kage sat uneasily, they had heard the loud explosion and sound of tumbling rocks down below and knew something was very wrong. It had gotten very quiet, the bodyguards looked left and right waiting for the attack to come.

Kakashi, with his sharingan, watched as new chakra sources appeared and noted they were now above them.

"They are here, above us!" Everyone shifted their eyes to the ceiling where Sasuke stood alone, looking straight at Naruto with murderous intent.

All those gathered glared at the boy who had affiliated himself with Akatsuki, the kid was going to have to die. Naruto took Sasuke's glare as a challenge and shifted his position, slightly bending his knees in preparation.

Mifune jumped up from his chair and revealed a hidden sword of his, identical to his fellow samurai countryman's. It glowed with chakra and attempted to slice Sasuke only to be blocked by Sasuke's lightning enhanced blade.

_'Not bad..'_

"You are not the one I want old man!" Sasuke used his blade to avert the man's weapon away from his center mass allowing Sasuke to kick him in the stomach.

Mifune was sent crashing down to the ground while Sasuke was open to attack. Naruto launched himself into the air and stood on the ceiling along with Sasuke.

"Kage and bodyguards, stay where you are! I will handle this one.._personally_." Everyone's eyes widened at the blond's declaration, the Akatsuki that stood before them had apparently bested both the Raikage and Kazekage and he still would take him on?

Onoki smirked, the boy was out for glory from his point of view.

"My hips are hurting me, you all may do as you like." Tsunade and her party stood up, ready to apprehend Sasuke as he was a Konoha criminal first.

"Stay out of this Tsunade!" She hesitated only for a moment because of Naruto's commanding tone before preparing to jump up again; she only hesitated again because of his eyes. "Baa-chan..please." Tsunade couldn't say no to him after that, she halted in her attack.

Mei had stayed silent until now, debating whether to listen to Naruto or throw caution to the wind and help him anyway. Naruto seemed to know her thoughts and looked down at her with a reassuring smile, one of which she returned. She needed no further reassurance, Mei knew Naruto would win.

"Naruto.." Mei called out, bringing his attention back to her. "We are getting married soon! If you don't win..." Her eyes turned dark and her smile evil. "I'll kill you myself!"

Naruto nervously chuckled and nodded.

_'That's my fiancee alright. Uzumaki women are **crazy**.'_

"Are you ready dobe?" Sasuke asked, tired of waiting for his revenge.

Naruto turned back to him and readied his swords, his blue eyes pierced Sasuke's red sharingan.

"Let's go teme!"

-

DUN DUN DUN!!!! Wow! This has got to be the most action I have ever written in a chapter ever, and hopefully next chapter will be even better. I know I promised the whole, 'Naruto and Mei will go back home next chapter' but this chapter was way too big to fit it all in. I think you will all be satisfied with it though.

Review!

And expect NarutoxSamui coming soon to a theater near you! It will be called _Namikaze's Homecoming_.


	19. Kage Decision, Uzumaki in Crossfire!

Uzumaki Clan's Rebirth

Chapter 19

Kage Decision, Uzumaki Caught in Crossfire!

**Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO!**

"speaking"

_'thinking'_

"**Jutsu**"

**"Tailed Beast Speak"**

NaruxMei

**BLOODLINE WARNING**: Naruto uses **Lava** and **Boil** Release in this story. He has three elements in total because of his bloodlimit, Fire, Water, and Earth.

000

_Castle of Iron_

_Top Floor _

_Kage Summit_

Naruto hefted the two swords he was currently holding, deciding it would be better to save his nine sword style for later. Sasuke did nothing, observing Naruto unlike he had done in the past.

Feeling like he would have to start the show, Naruto charged forward and clashed with Sasuke's katana, the swords sparked against one another. Naruto used his double sword combo to overpower Sasuke and pushed the weapon away, giving Naruto the chance to kick him towards the ground. He chased after him, going through a quick succession of hand signs for his jutsu.

"**Lava Release: Melting Apparition!**" Naruto shot a stream of lava out of his mouth towards Sasuke who had just landed on the ground, his sharingan tracking Naruto's movement.

Activating Susanno, He took the entirety of the lava to his body and dared Naruto to launch an attack at him, to his surprise he could no longer see Naruto. Looking left and right, he was rewarded by three yellow flashes to his sides and front. To his horror, Sasuke saw that his rival had created not only three rasengans but they were nature infused.

"**Firestorm Rasengan!**" Naruto plunged all three of the red, swirling spheres of fire into Sasuke's 'ultimate defense', the blast pushed him through a wall into an adjacent hallway.

"Mei!" Mei realized what he wanted her to do and quickly launched multiple waves of lava bullets at the broken wall; the lava quickly cooled and formed a barrier.

Naruto ran through the doorway into the hall where Sasuke was still recovering from the attack. The Uzumaki quickly blocked all the doors with his own lava attack, effectively closing them inside with one another.

"**Shadow Clone!**" Naruto created two copies of himself, each standing to the right or left of him; Sasuke watched with bated breath.

Naruto made the horse hand sign as did his clones, he felt the acidic mist come up from his throat and spread amongst the room. With his clones, the amount of mist and the potential level of acidity would drastically increase, bringing the battle to a close much quicker.

"**Boil Release: Skilled Mist!**" Sasuke was confused as to what the jutsu actually did until he saw the chakra mist with his sharingan. Looking towards his Susanno ribs, he saw them melting, something that should be impossible.

Attempting to increase his chakra levels to enhance the Susanno, Sasuke was met with incredible pain that came from all over his body.

_'The toll on my body is astounding..I'm not sure how much more I can take. Was this how it always felt for those who were able to use it?'_

Naruto smirked, the battle was as good as won now; Sasuke could not disperse the mist and Naruto wasn't about to let him leave.

"It's melting..you bastard!" Sasuke coughed up some blood, the fight with the Raikage was too much.

"Looks like the Raikage and Gaara really got you huh? I guess you won't be so much of a challenge after all." Sasuke growled, he would not take these taunts from this Uzumaki.

Sasuke once again tried to increase his chakra levels, however, his reserves had already been drained from the last time he used a full Susanno. Naruto continued to just watch his old rival melt when he felt something on him start to grow. He looked down and saw Zetsu growing on him, the guy was smirking like a madman and Naruto could feel his chakras draining.

_'You like to drain chakra huh? Let's see you drain this!'_

Naruto began to pump Kyuubi's chakra into him, the man's smirk died and was replaced with an agonized look of pain. The leech fell to the ground and twitched like a fish on land for a few moments before dying from chakra poison.

On the outside of the wall, chaos ensued as the ninja fought off Zetsu clones.

"Do you hear those screams Naruto? Your friends are dying out there, you can't help them while you are stuck in here with me!" Sasuke tried to get into Naruto's head, to let him escape from the trap.

Naruto merely shook his head, the mind games wouldn't work on him.

"They were only surprised, I'm sure your friend's clones are being killed as we speak. Don't worry Sasuke, I'm not leaving until you are a pile of mush." Angered by the blonde's stubbornness, Sasuke charged forward with his katana, intent on killing him.

Naruto launched himself forward and met Sasuke in the middle of the hallway, his swords once again smacked against his; the sparks flew from the force of impact. Sasuke's sharingan allowed him to pick up on Naruto's movements, estimate where he would be and counter with stunning accuracy.

Realizing he had to increase his speed or do something as he was losing the sword fight, Naruto threw five swords into the air and caught them; this allowed him to now wield seven swords. Sasuke was intrigued by this, he had not been expecting Naruto to actually use any more than two swords.

"You can't really use that many swords, you imbecile!" Naruto smirked, he didn't know just how wrong he was.

"We'll see about that!" Naruto said, slightly muffled with the sword in between his teeth.

He launched himself into the air and met Sasuke for a second time. Naruto was the one on the offensive soon enough and Sasuke was struggling to keep up with the multiple swords that were launched at him. He could akin Naruto's style to a buzz saw, the blades were always spinning and no matter where he flanked there was always a sword to protect the blonde.

Suddenly, Naruto threw the two swords he was holding with his hands up into the air and went through a quick succession of hand signs.

_'I have got to speed this up, he is taking too long to die.'_

"**Fire Release: Combustion Ash Cloud!**" Sasuke observed the thick smog as it raced towards him, he knew that he would be done for if he was caught in the blaze.

Thinking quickly, the black haired boy gathered up his chakra into his sword and quickly cut a hole through the stone. This allowed him to escape right when Naruto clicked his teeth to activate the explosion, sending rubble and flames into the meeting room.

Naruto waited for the smoke to clear before realizing that Sasuke had escaped and that the acidic mist was leaking out of the room.

_'Looks like I'll have to tone it down a bit.'_

He ran outside to find everyone still present but Sasuke was nowhere to be found. Sensing an incoming presence to his right, Naruto turned in time to duck under a strike that his opponent had been waiting for. Building up chakra in his mouth, Naruto launched a few lava bullets towards Sasuke who was forced to dodge the projectiles.

The attack was accentuated when Mei got up from her chair and broke into a run towards Sasuke, launching her own salvo of lava bullets towards him. Sasuke turned his attention to the newcomer and glared at her with the sharingan, she returned the gesture with a smirk.

"Don't interfere woman!" Mei grew a tick on her forehead and began to smile wide, a smile that Naruto knew to be anything but friendly.

"Oh..so you think you can order me around because I'm a woman huh?" Sasuke was taken aback by her joyous tone but smirked anyway.

"Of course, Uchiha women always knew their place. I don't know what kind backwards clan you come from but-" Sasuke was stopped from talking when a well placed fist sent him flying into the back wall, it cracked from the pressure.

Sasuke looked up to find a pissed red head, Mei was shaking with anger over the boy's insult of the Uzumaki.

"Naruto!" The teen in question quickly moved to her side, feeling even stronger now that he was fighting alongside Mei. "I think it's time we try a combination attack, are you ready?" Naruto looked at her in surprise but nodded anyway, he wanted to know what attack they were going to do though.

"All you have to do is summon and then follow my lead." Naruto smirked, biting his finger and preparing the correct hand signs.

Sasuke watched and prepared to lunge at them when a Zetsu came up and wrapped himself around Sasuke, he could feel himself becoming stronger with chakra.

_'Zetsu must have been able to absorb chakra from the kage and their bodyguards while Naruto and I were in the hallway. It feels..so empowering!'_

Naruto and Mei noticed that Sasuke seemed to be growing stronger and the Susanno was coming back in full force.

"Now Naruto!" He quickly slammed his hand on the ground and from the puff of smoke came a large, two-tailed Lava Monkey with steel armor and piercing green eyes.

"Uzumaki-sama, I have come as requested."

"Use your lava with us, we must do it simultaneously!" Nodding his assent the Lava Monkey began to form hand signs along with Mei and Naruto.

"**Lava Release: Molten Flood!**" The Uzumaki launched a massive amount of boiling lava from their mouths along with the summon, the spray of intense heat immediately melted anything it touched.

The other kage were amazed at such a powerful bloodline, Onoki merely huffed.

"Showoffs."

Kankuro and Temari watched on in amazement.

"Wow!"

"I didn't know Naruto could do that!"

Sasuke brought his hands up in an x to defend himself but was ultimately engulfed in the lava, his Sussano broke and it looked like he had been caught by the blast. An agonizing scream echoed the room that belonged to Sasuke.

Mei and Naruto smirked and complimented the others move with a high five, they had gotten the snobby Uchiha with their attack. Naruto turned to his summon who was beating his chest in triumph, the two tails swished behind him excitedly.

"Very nice job! May I ask your name?" The monkey turned his head towards the ground to look at Naruto, the monkey was easily ten feet tall and towered over everyone in the room.

"My name is Yobaro, it was a pleasure fighting alongside you Uzumaki-sama." The monkey bowed before disappearing in a puff of smoke.

Naruto and Mei were about to return to their seats when a resounding clapping could be heard throughout the meeting room. Everyone looked to find the source of the applause and landed on a masked man sitting on the bodyguard balcony area. To their disappointment, Sasuke was unconscious and laying face down next to him.

Naruto looked his new opponent up and down, surmising that the man in front of him was none other than Madara himself. At this point, A and Gaara had arrived with their bodyguards and a throng of samurai behind them.

"Bravo Uzumaki-san, that was a wonderful performance. Your kekkei genkai is quite a powerful one at that, it could easily be equal to the sharingan in strength. Now that the 'colorful' introductions are over, I will formally introduce myself to you all. My name is Madara Uchiha." A seemed to snap at sound of this, his glare intensified towards the relaxed leader of Akatsuki.

"Why are you here?! Have you come here for the jinchuuriki?!" Madara merely shook his head to the question.

"No, I will capture them all in due time. I have come before you today to tell you of my goal for the world, the Moon's Eye Plan! Now-" Madara was interrupted when an irate A charged through the air and launched a fist at his face.

Sighing, Madara allowed the man to phase through him and instead hit the wall.

"What the hell!?" They heard A say from behind the broken wall, Madara chuckled at his surprise.

Naruto's eyes widened as he observed the move, did the Raikage pass through him?

_'How did he do that?'_

"That is Madara's ability?" Kankuro questioned, never seeing anything like it before; Temari seemed to have a bit better of an idea.

"Looks like a Time-space jutsu, I wonder where he got it though."

"That was quite an outburst Raikage, please calm down. I have no intention of harming you or any of the others gathered here..well at least not yet." He said the final part with an evil cackle in his voice, obviously intending it for Naruto and Gaara.

Madara slowly stood up and brushed his cloak of any dirt that had fallen on it thanks to the destruction of the wall behind him. He picked up Sasuke by the scruff of his neck and used his time warp jutsu to send him to a safe place for now.

A quickly returned to his place near the other kage and glared at the masked man.

"I for one have no intention of listening to you, all Akatsuki are mad with power and must be stopped!" Madara pondered this for a second and then shrugged.

"That's fine, now why don't you leave while I speak to the others?" A grew a vein on his forehead and looked ready to attack the man again before Darui calmed him down.

"Come on sir, let him speak for now. We have no information on this guy, the best we can do now is observe." A looked at him and said nothing, merely looking at the ground in defeat.

"I suppose you are ready now? Then, may I present to you ladies and gentlemen-" Madara was once again interrupted by Gaara, however he spoke a genuine question to the leader of Akatsuki.

"What do you want with Sasuke? Why have you persuaded him to join your side? Is it because you are trying to bring the Uchiha back to their former glory?" Madara looked at him before chuckling a bit at the absurd idea.

"Bring the Uchiha back? Why would I want to do that? My own people betrayed me and refused to listen to my words of reason, if you ask me.." Madara's revealed eye slit in anger and his voice turned cold. "_They got what they deserved from Itachi._"

Everyone's eyes widened, he agreed with the slaughter of the Uchiha?

"Wow, cold man." Akatsuchi muttered, it was a little evil to think that way of your own people.

"Tell me about it dude." Madara responded in a sarcastic tone, bringing Akatsuchi to look back up in surprise at the man who merely smiled under his mask; he enjoyed to mess with the shinobi before him.

"But anyway, Sasuke's ability to use Susanno means that he is a very rare commodity. You couldn't find Uchiha able to harness it very commonly even back when the villages didn't exist, let alone today. Who would allow such prized eyes to go to waste? I brought my apprentice here with me so that he could train the eyes and further awaken his powers, and I can see he did just that." Naruto cringed, he wished he killed Sasuke when he had the chance now more than ever.

"I was actually hoping I could take all five kage as hostages..but I see that he wasn't powerful enough to do that. Oh well..he was able to make the Raikage lose a hand so it wasn't so bad." The kage in question ground his teeth together in an effort to stay quiet but was quickly losing the battle.

Madara held up his hand in defense towards the Kage's death glare.

"I was just kidding, I'm sure you can find another one somewhere. Now anyway-" He was interrupted again, for what seemed like the thousandth time by a frustrated A.

"GAH! You bastard!" Once again, Madara allowed the fast man to phase right through him, making a second hole in the wall behind Madara.

The masked man hiked a thumb over his shoulder and asked the Kumo bodyguards a question that was a bit embarrassing.

"Is he always like this? How do you get anything done?" Darui chuckled and scratched the back of his neck.

"Yeah..the boss is a little excitable sometimes, that's all." C smacked the larger man in the back of the neck, quieting him.

"Shut up Darui, he is the enemy remember?" Darui just shrugged, what he spoke was the truth.

"Why would you want as hostages?!" Mei blurted out to the distracted man, it brought his attention over to her.

"Just to make sure that no one strong enough to interfere would be gone during the Moon Eye operation. And I must say.." His tone took a more flirty tone, making Mei sick to her stomach. "You are quite beautiful, Mizukage-_sama_." He allowed her honorary suffix to roll of his tongue, bringing a disgusted look onto her face.

"I'm engaged thank you." She moved a bit closer to Naruto who wrapped a protective arm around her; Madara's eye swirled in bemusement.

"Oh what a shame..you will become a widow early." That was it, Mei launched a lava bullet right at the man's face which harmlessly passed through him without any reaction from him.

He watched as the blonde jinchuuriki reeled his fiancee back in, she was fighting against him and glaring at Madara with bloody murder. It was obvious she wanted to kill him after that remark.

"Let me go Naruto! I'll kill him!" Madara chuckled a bit, this was too much fun.

"Calm down Mei-hime, he isn't going anywhere." Naruto grunted out, trying to restrain his admittedly very powerful wife to be.

"With all due respect to you, why have come here to announce this to us? I remember hearing of your exploits throughout my child and shinobi years, with that kind of power, couldn't you do whatever you want?" Onoki asked truthfully, the man was a legend among shinobi in terms of strength and charisma and also betrayal.

Madara turned his attention to the old man and shook his head negatively.

"After my battle with the slug princess's grandfather, Hashirama Senju, I am but a mere shadow of my former self. I can no longer wield the power I once had and it is impossible for me to gain it back, but that is where the genius of my plan comes from."

C spoke up next, trying to get a straight answer about this operation of his.

"So..with this operation of yours you are trying to bring yourself back to that strength?" Madara looked at the young boy and shrugged, indicating he didn't think that either way.

"Well..it is a way to think of it, but that isn't really what it is about at the same time." Mifune was getting angry by how he alluded to the operation so much without actually telling them the details.

"Enough of this! Quit beating around the bush and tell us what this "Mooneye operation" is!" Madara shrugged again.

"If you would allow me, I would like to take a seat for this." He bended his knees and slowly took a seat o the balcony to get more comfortable.

"We asked what the hell your plan is!" Kankuro yelled out, getting tired of the man's evasiveness; Madara shook a finger at the boy and scolded him.

"My plan is for all to become one with me, to achieve a perfect form!" His sharingan eye curled with glee from his hidden smile while the others allowed their eyes to widen.

_'What does he mean, become one?'_

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?!" Onoki asked, he didn't understand the man's thought process.

"There is a stone monument that reads of the past, of the sharingan and of the Rikudou Sennin. It is a monument that is kept beneath Konoha to this day. Without a sharingan, it is impossible to read. With Mangekyo, more is legible and even further with the Rinnegan."

"What the hell does this have to do with anything?! Get to the point!" A yelled out, he just wanted the man to get on with it; Madara merely shook his head in disappointment.

"Haven't you wondered why we hold the Sennin at such a high regard? Why he is considered a legend?" Madara made his voice rise with each word, placing his hands into the air for emphasis.

"You have the Mangekyo and one of your organization members has the Rinnegan. With those abilities, you should have been able to translate it all by now, spill it." Tsunade spoke up for the first time.

"Yes, let's hear what it had to say." Onoki muttered, not too pleased.

"He saved the world..from a monster." Gaara and Naruto's eyes widened, what kind of monster? Could it be like their tailed beasts?

"What kind of monster?" Gaara spoke up, bringing Madara to look at him.

"You and your blonde friend Naruto contain a portion of the beast within you right now. All the biju of the world were combined into one, a monster with the ultimate level of chakra known to us." Everyone listened intently, this monster seemed very powerful.

"It was called..the Juubi!" Now it was their turn to become shocked and outraged, that thing was nothing but a myth!

"Shouldn't the beasts only go up to nine?" Akatsuchi muttered, not seeing past what they knew to be fact.

"Like I said, it was a combination of all nine into one being." Madara reminded.

"All of the tailed beasts are made of chakra, pure demonized chakra. They were created by the Rikudou Sennin by dividing the chakra of the Juubi." He explained further after seeing some of them still confused.

"Wait..does this relate to the reason why Akatsuki is gathering the biju?" Kankuro was getting suspicious, were they trying to bring the Juubi back?

Madara merely continued on with his story, ignoring the comment for now.

"The Rikudou Sennin created a technique, a technique to protect the world from the power and destruction the Juubi would surely bring to us. This technique has been handed down and spread throughout the nations of the shinobi world..a secret technique that is no longer needed. The sealing of biju!"

"The Rikudou Sennin was the Juubi's Jinchuuriki! The world's first human sacrifice!" A few gasps or surprised looks were rewarded to Madara.

"But the power was too great and too evil for it to be contained forever. Upon his death, the Juubi would be able to reign free and terrorize the world. Knowing this right before his death, the Sennin launched the divided chakra across the planet's surface which then created the nine biju. It's actual body was sent where no one could reach it, the sky. It became the moon we now know of today." It was beginning to sound a little to far fetched at this point.

"Is something like this really possible, can a human accomplish that?" Darui asked, not really believing the story; Madara shook his head negatively.

"No, it is because the Sennin was beyond what we could consider 'Human' today. His powers were beyond imagining, something you cannot put a definition or standard to, at least not anymore."

"So you are gathering the nine scattered pieces of chakra..that apparently came from an ultra powerful being that is sealed away in the sky. If this is true, what do you plan to do with that power?" Mifune questioned, the final question had been asked.

"I will create the Juubi again! Then I will seal it within me and gain the abilities being it's jinchuuriki has to offer! Using it's ultimate chakra, I will use a jutsu thought unattainable, an extension of an existing sharingan power..the ultimate Tsukuyomi."

"With it's power, I will cast a genjutsu over the entire world and have the people bow to me! The one they cast aside as mad, the one they cast aside as evil, I will BRING THEM TO THEIR KNEES!" They were taken aback, the man was mad with power.

"It will be without conflict, without war. The people will be one with me..this is the 'Moon-Eye Plan'." It was silent only a moment before A yelled out his objection, shattering a chair with his fist.

"Never! I won't give the world up to the likes of you!" A murmuring spread throughout those gathered, all agreeing with the Raikage.

"Peace made through illusion is nothing but that, an illusion. True peace comes from being forged with your own real hands, in reality." Gaara noted, denouncing the man's idea.

"What do you expect us to find in such a world?! It would be devoid of hopes, dreams, family, and love. Who would wish to live in a world like that?!" Mei attacked him with words instead of fists; Naruto silently agreed along with her.

"Hm..it seems as though you want to unite the world for peace yet take it all for yourself." Onoki noted.

"Ha! You all denounce my idea but do you really think you can do better? Decades of conflict between your villages and only now do you unite because of my organization! You are all hopeless!" The kage glared at him for insulting them.

"Now then..if you would please hand over all your jinchuuriki remaining as to cooperate with my operation, it would be much appreciated." Madara held out his hand for Gaara and Naruto to come along, neither made a move to go forward.

Mei stood a bit straighter and moved closer to her fiance, holding him close afraid that the man would actually attempt to take him. Naruto merely held her tighter as well, reassuring her that he was going nowhere.

The sand siblings formed around Gaara, intent on keeping him away from the man.

Madara noticed the lack of support and decided to resort to threatening.

"If you don't..then the only other choice is war." Their eyes widened, war?

"We will not hand them over, they are people and you are murdering them for your own selfish gains!" Mei announced to the party.

"We will not hand over either the Kazekage or Naruto Uzumaki, so I suggest you make another offer, Uchiha." Onoki told the masked man who merely sighed.

"I may not have all the tailed beasts..but you will find that I have some tricks up my sleeve. Even with a sliver of the Juubi's power on my side, you will lose." Naruto glared at him, deciding now was the time to take the stand.

"You will not beat us, we can triumph you if we are united!" Madara glanced over towards him and rested his head on his hand.

"Well I suppose that means that I have to say this now. I declare the Fourth Shinobi War!"

"Are you serious?" Tsunade asked, not believing that the man in front of her would be willing to do something so silly as declare the war so great to be the Fourth of all the shinobi wars.

"Believe me Tsunade-hime, I do not jest when I speak words." She merely growled at the nickname as the rest of the kage processed the information.

"I believe I will take my leave now..the next time we meet it will be on the battlefield!" With that, Madara sent himself through a portal to his hideout to devise a new plan of attack.

Those gathered there still stared at the spot Madara had been in, thinking over what had just happened. War had been declared and a threat not only jinchuuriki but all of the five major nations had been made by the leader of Akatsuki, Madara Uchiha.

"My my..what to do now?" Onoki muttered to the people gathered, a bit overwhelmed.

"There is no other way now, we must form an alliance to stand up against Madara." Gaara announced to them all, bringing eyes on him.

"Remember that Danzo and his ANBU have rebelled and joined Akatsuki. We must incorporate that into the enemies strength as well." Kakashi noted to the group.

"I agree, to keep Naruto and my brother safe, we must form an alliance!" A agreed with the gathering.

"The question is though, what to do with the jinchuuriki. His goal is obviously their capture and the extraction of the beast within. How do we stop him from doing that?" Onoki asked, murmurs went through the crowd as they tried to come up with an idea; Naruto made his presence known with his blunt opinion.

"I'm sure some of you are thinking this, but I refuse to sit on the sidelines during this war just because I hold the Kyuubi inside of me. I can fight, that much is obvious and I have killed Akatsuki before so I refuse to hide like a rat until the war is done." Mei decided to stand by her fiance on this one, she trusted in his ability.

"I agree with Naruto, he is easily the most powerful shinobi in my village next to me. It would be foolish to hide him away, we can use him and the other jinchuuriki who are capable in the war." A turned towards Gaara who had been silently thinking until now.

"Kazekage? You are also a current host, what is your stance?" Gaara looked at A and closed his eyes, relaying his verdict.

"I stand beside Naruto, we will support the war just as our shinobi will do. It wouldn't be right for my people to have to sacrifice their lives to protect me when I am supposed to do the same for them instead." Kankuro and Temari smirked, that was their Gaara.

"My brother will not listen to me when it comes to strategy, so he is out of the question as a fighter. I can think of a way to subdue him though, a simple vacation to our secure islands will suffice I think." A thought out loud, his brother was quite rebellious.

"Then we will just have to secure a select number of jinchuuriki for now, make sure they are safe. Then we can formally start making battle plans, correct?" Naruto asked, all there agreed with that.

"Yes, there are still a few biju unaccounted for that must be secured for the good of the world. I will find my brother and get Yugito somewhere safe, she might be a bit difficult however." Mei stepped up next with Kiri's responsibility.

"We have two unaccounted for tailed beasts. Utakata of the Six Tails, he is a wanted criminal that my ANBU have been tracking for some time, he will be the easiest to apprehend. Then there comes the Three Tails, apparently it survived the death of it's jinchuuriki and is still alive somewhere. We have no information on where it is at the moment. As soon as we arrive back in our village, I will begin to send out search teams for it and send my best shinobi to apprehend Utakata!" The other kage nodded to this, agreeing with her course of action.

"That does it for the jinchuuriki I suppose, what now? Anything else to say before we part ways?" Onoki asked the group, his back ached and he wanted to go home.

"We must decide on a leader for the alliance." Mifune reminded, bringing everyone back to the argument of who would lead the unstoppable coalition.

"You were pointing out all our flaws a minute ago, why change your mind about us now?" Mifune stroked his beard, attempting to find the right choice.

"I believe..that the Raikage would be the best option. The ability to have the Eight Tails on our side is important and if he is the only one who could control him then it would be a mute point to pick anyone else. His village has also shown enough loyalty or at least chivalry in not joining Akatsuki or bolstering their ranks with their missing-nin."

"I thought you said he was too emotional?" Onoki countered, angry that he changed sides so easily.

"In times of stress, which these were, the Raikage acted with much emotion. It is obvious that this is not always his behavior though, forgive me for my first analysis." Onoki merely huffed in defeat and A bowed to those gathered.

"I will do my best to lead you all to victory over Akatsuki, now we must hurry to our tasks. Upon their completion or any new information is gained on Akatsuki, we will schedule a new meeting between us." A looked into each one of their eyes to show his level of seriousness. "A meeting to discuss _war_."

The kage gave their final salutations and goodbyes, embarking once again for their countries of origin to rally their villages behind them.

000

_Amegakure_

_Meeting Place_

Madara appeared with a beaten and burned Sasuke over his shoulder before he dropped him onto the cold floor, a loud crack came from the boy's body as it hit the hard ground. Madara looked up to see Danzo and Zetsu both sitting in seats waiting for him to tell them what happened.

"How did it go, Madara?" Danzo asked with a curious tone, Madara walked over to the table and sat in his chair.

"It went alright, we are now at war. It was as I expected, the kage are fools to think they can actually stand against me yet they try anyway." The now united Zetsu spoke up.

"It is as you expected my lord, but what will we do for troops?" Madara pondered this, looking out a nearby window and watched the rain pelt the glass.

"I think I will visit my old home, see if they missed me." A hidden smile curled upon his face, his sharingan twirled in excitement.

Konan had listened to the meeting and quickly flew back to report what she had heard. Moving swiftly with her paper transformation, Konan arrived at Pain's hideaway. While still members of Akatsuki, both had been left out of many of the major developments so far and it was bringing Nagato much grief.

"Pain..I have returned." The ringed purple-eyed man turned towards her, his face covered in an assortment of piercings.

"What have you found Konan?" She sighed, it was as they feared.

"Madara has declared war on the kage at the summit and is out to get the rest of the jinchuuriki. He still works alongside Danzo..I'm afraid that it wasn't a rumor as much as we both wished to believe." Pain looked at the ground, his emotionless mask was about ready to fall at just the thought of the man who had killed Yahiko.

"Then I suppose it is time we acted.." Pain turned to face his long time friend since childhood. "Konan..find the one called Naruto Uzumaki, I wish to speak with him."

000

_Kirigakure_

_Village Gate_

_A few days after the summit_

Naruto and company walked slowly up to their village gate, happy to be back home in their native land instead of the cold and snowy Iron. Walking up to the gate, they noticed that there were no gate guards or anyone to welcome their scheduled arrival. They looked at one another, it was strange and strange meant only one thing in the shinobi world, dangerous.

Moving through the streets, they were met with almost no life at all. It was as if half the city had just up and left while they had been away. Arriving at the Mizukage building, they saw none of the usual guards and it even looked as though the place had come under attack. Smoke and scorch marks lay around the outside and what could have been dried blood lay untouched on the ground.

Going on alert, the three began to move slowly towards the door when Naruto sensed something from behind. A Kiri shinobi was dashing towards them, a blue mask denoting they were an ANBU that was meant to guard the Mizukage. Welcoming the arrival, Naruto saw that the man did not stop, instead, he pulled out a kunai and threw it at Mei's back.

Anger swelled through Naruto who quickly moved and caught the kunai before throwing it right back at the shinobi who had not been expecting such quick reflexes and was hit in the chest. By then Mei and Chojuro had turned around to see Naruto having thrown a kunai at a mist shinobi.

"Naruto what are you-" Mei questioned him but he merely pointed towards the dying man.

"He tried to throw a kunai at you, you couldn't expect it because his chakra was so familiar you expected him to be friendly. This man is a traitor." Mei's eyes widened as she looked at the man who was beginning to take shallow breaths.

"Damn right..Kyo-sama was right..about you Uzumaki..bunch of pigs." Naruto and Mei's eyes widened, Kyo?!

Naruto was upon the man in a second, gripping his shirt tightly as he grilled him for information about what had happened.

"What do you mean Kyo? He is in prison! And why did you attack the Mizukage, you are a traitor if you are attempting to kill her!" The man chuckled a bit, although it was hampered by his wound.

"Kyo has been freed, he told us all about _you_ and _your people_ with your atrocities and warmongering. Kyo has shown us the truth about you Uzumaki! That's why..that's why.." The man's voice was fading fast, Naruto wanted to know what he was about to say so he shook him one last time to keep him conscious.

"Why what? Tell me!" Naruto took off the mask and found the man coughing up a significant amount of blood, a deadly evil smirk was on his face though as he faced his final hour of life.

"That's why..we are going to kill all bloodline users...the purges have already.._begun_." The man whispered the final word, his last breathe taking the air right out of the three shinobi's lungs.

"_Purges.._no..the people wouldn't do that..they wouldn't.." Mei couldn't believe it, Kiri was going back into what she had striven so hard to get away from; tears welled up in her eyes and she could find no words.

"Damn him..damn him!" Naruto beat the dead body below him, taking his anger out on the mad man Kyo with what he had done.

He had played a final trick, a revenge card on the Uzumaki and they were too far away to do anything about it.

"Um..Mizukage-sama..Naruto.." Both turned towards the quiet Chojuro who was unsure what to say to help them; he was on their side 100% though.

"He said that the purges were beginning, that means..we may still have some time..I think..right?" Naruto and Mei's eyes widened, he was right, they could still stop it from happening.

"Let's go, we have to find the bloodline users before they kill them!" Naruto announced, taking off into a run for the village center, if they were to make an example of someone, they would do it there.

Mei and Chojuro followed closely behind, all three had to stop a genocide-driven man, two-kage level shinobi against a whole village..a piece of cake for the two most powerful Uzumaki.

000

Done! How did you like that? Cliffhanger again but now we get to the part that I have been planning since like, before I started writing.

We will now see the transition between **Kirigakure Arc** to **Uzugakure Arc** and you know what that means..yes that means we are now beginning the stories second Arc, the **Uzugakure Restoration**!

From now on, the story should be about all non-canon except for little parts that don't really matter since I will be focusing from now on on my favorite part of this entire thing, the Uzumaki Clan! I have to bring their country back to life, save all the people, make lots of babies to repopulate with uzumaki blood and make Uzugakure become the sixth great shinobi nation all in one story!

Should be easy for me huh?

Keep reviewing and I keep writing!

Bye Bye


	20. Mass Exodus, the Noose is Broken!

Uzumaki Clan's Rebirth

Chapter 20

Mass Exodus, the Noose is Broken!

**Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO!**

"speaking"

_'thinking'_

"**Jutsu**"

**"Tailed Beast Speak"**

NaruxMei

**BLOODLINE WARNING**: Naruto uses **Lava** and **Boil** Release in this story. He has three elements in total because of his bloodlimit, Fire, Water, and Earth.

Also, I'm not sure if this will disappoint you all or not but I will alert you all now. The Uzugakure Restoration Arc is mainly a short, transitional phase that will be plagued with the dreaded time skip. This is for the simple reason of it being boring. Like for example 'Naruto went to the meeting where they discussed this this and this and his shadow clones began to build this this and this.' That is boring!

You know I noticed something that was kind of funny, this story is technically incest. Naruto and Mei are cousins and share the same blood..ha!

000

_Kirigakure_

_Streets_

Naruto ran through the abandoned streets of Kiri with his heart ringing in his ears, the panic of the sheer size of the situation was getting to him. He observed from the cities disheveled look that the bloodline users had been literally dragged from their homes, with a fight often, and taken somewhere. The blonde especially hoped that he was correct that it was to the city center because if he was wrong, it could cost them thousands of lives.

_'How could the people do this? I was sure that Mei's reign had proven that the Uzumaki were friends to Kiri, not enemies. What will we do now..'_

Speaking of Mei, Naruto looked over his shoulder to take a quick glance towards his fiancee. She had been taking this especially hard because of the amount of time and effort she had spent on gaining the people of Kiri's trust only to have it all be thrust back into her face.

Naruto turned to see Chojuro keeping pace even with his large sword out, the boy had a look of determination Naruto had not seen since his training with the older boy.

"Chojuro!" The boy looked at Naruto curiously from his outburst. "I know you want to help us find the bloodline users but I have a different mission, it's just as important!" The blue haired boy seemed curious about the new mission and nodded for the boy to go on.

"What mission Naruto?" Mei listened in as well, curious about the mission and also proud her Naruto was taking charge of the situation.

"I need you to gather as many loyal shinobi as you can and bring them to the square to support us. We have to know who is on our side or else we will just be killing each other senselessly." Chojuro pondered it for a moment before he smiled and nodded, jumping onto a roof that veered off to their left.

"Don't worry Naruto, Mizukage-sama, I'll go get help! Good luck!"

"Good luck Chojuro!" Mei called out in support of the boy.

"Hurry Chojuro!" Naruto urged him on as he left their sight, it was night time and very dark that night.

"Do you think he will really find help Naruto? I mean..if it really has gotten this bad, can there really be any loyalists left?" Naruto slowed his run so that he was next to Mei and gave her an encouraging smile, one that threatened to spread to her face as well.

"We must have faith that our friends still believe in us. I think that it really must have been the civilians that were aroused by Kyo's apparent speeches instead of the shinobi. It'll be fine Mei-hime, you'll see." Naruto's soft voice reached her ears and reassured her, she grabbed his hand and interlocked their fingers.

"Promise me..promise me that we will get out alive with the Uzumaki Naruto. I don't think..I don't think I can stay here any longer even if I was welcomed. I..want to go home." Naruto's face was one of shock, she really wanted to go back to Uzu?

"Mei..do you really mean that? I mean, you have lived here since the dissolving of Uzu, are you sure you don't want to fight for Kiri any longer?" Mei merely shook her head, a smile gracing her features.

"I tried..I tried so hard to gain the people's trust, to show them that an Uzumaki wasn't always an evil person. It appears now that I have failed, they are just as impressionable as when Madara was still in power. I think it's time we bring our people home, don't you think? Who knows..maybe I could be calling you Uzukage-sama soon." Naruto's surprise was soon replaced with a warm smile and he squeezed her hand and kissed her cheek as they continued to run to their destination.

"I think it's a wonderful idea Mei-hime. Now, we just have to hope they will come with us instead of dying here for a place that no longer cares about them."

The two picked up their pace to reach the city center to which they were nearing quickly, they were in for a shock by what they saw.

000

_Kirigakure_

_City Center_

Kyo stood on a raised platform overlooking the large square where there was quite a crowd before him. Ninja loyal to him stood on rooftops or corners of the square, safely hidden in the shadows until they were needed. He had just finished giving yet another rousing speech with the announcement that the final guests had arrived and were heading their way now.

The vast majority that stood before him were not the angry and disgruntled citizens he had for support, instead they were mostly bloodline users that were isolated in the center of the square. They were bound with their hands and feet tied and all were facing Kyo as he prepared to give them their death sentence. They too stood on a raised platform made completely of wood, citizens with torches stood by to light the extremely flammable straw and wood to burn the bloodline users.

_'Just have to wait a little longer for the final two to arrive. Naruto and Mei Uzumaki..you have underestimated me for the last time.'_ Kyo thought with a triumphant smirk, his plan was foolproof.

He was soon rewarded with the two shinobi's arrival at the southern entrance and he began to clap for their presence. This brought attention to him and then to the place where he was looking, a silence was brought onto the crowd as they observed Mei and Naruto run into the center of the square to see what had been done. Their eyes widened when they saw the hundreds of bloodline users in neat rows and all tied together, even the children were present amongst them as they waited to die.

Upon their arrival, the vast majority of the bloodline users did not cringe at those who had apparently gotten them into the mess but smiled. Almost all Uzumaki descendents knew the truth behind the Mizukage and her fiance and knew what Kyo said was not true. Mei and Naruto were there to rescue them, a loud cheer began to arise from the bloodline users.

"Mizukage-sama!"

"Mizukage-sama! Help us!"

"The people have gone mad, you must do something!"

"One of the Great Swordsmen have arrived, we are saved!"

Naruto and Mei felt a rush of confidence as the people cheered their names and focused their attention on the threat that was Kyo. The man had finished his clapping and instead settled for smiling in their direction, something that made both very angry at him for his gall.

"Mizukage-sama, Naruto, so _nice_ to have you back in the village! I hope the kage summit was productive? We have made _so_ _much_ progress here as you can see, now if you would so kindly join your compatriots on the platform it would be much appreciated." He made fun of them with his sarcastic tone and practically begged for them to defy his order.

"Kyo! What is the meaning of this? You should be in jail for the grounds of-" Mei was interrupted by an annoyed Kyo, he was not going to allow her to bad mouth him in front of so many people.

"I should be in jail for _what_?! Because I spoke out against you? Because I pointed out real flaws in your little plan for Uzumaki dominance? No, I should be hailed as a HERO! The people of Kiri can see this, why can't you?" Mei and Naruto both were shocked at this man's audacity and how much he had clouded the people's judgment.

The angry civilians looked to their new Mizukage for support and orders and found him to be looking at them all with a reassuring smile.

"I know you have all waited so long, _so long_ to rid yourself of the Uzumaki and the bloodline users." He looked into all their shimmering eyes, smiling at how his plan was now coming to a head. "You may fulfill that wish now, set fire to those who dilute us! Those whose blood only brings pain and suffering!" The citizenry all smiled and threw their torches onto the pyre, bringing the flames to come alive within the straw.

Naruto and Mei watched in horror as the people on the platform began to squirm for escape and knew they had to do something. Just as they were about to do a water jutsu to put out the fire, the rebel Kiri shinobi leaped down and enacted their final trick.

Going through multiple hand signs simultaneously, over a dozen of the masked shinobi slammed their hands into the ground and erected a purple barrier around the kage-level shinobi.

"**Multiple Infinite Embrace!**" Naruto and Mei felt their chakra being absorbed by the strange barrier, their strength being sapped away.

Every moment that passed by more weight of gravity was increased on them, bringing Mei and soon enough Naruto to their knees. Mei couldn't take the excruciating pain for long and let out a loud scream, the shriek brought much terror to the Uzumaki and her fiance.

"Mei!" Naruto crawled closer to her and held her hand for support, barely fighting against the force pressing against him.

He knew he had to do something and fast or else Mei wouldn't last long with the force being exuded against them. Just as he was thinking of a way out of the predicament, he felt Mei's hand squeeze his own lightly and he looked down to see her face. She wore a smile that was hampered by the pain that crossed her face, it was a scene Naruto could not bear to see.

"Naruto..save them. Save the bloodlines..you must..hurry!" Her raspy voice barely came to his ears, the sheer gravitational weight had effectively made it hard for her to take breathes and she was losing sight fast.

"Stay with me Mei! You have to stay awake!" She merely smiled as she slowly closed her eyes and allowed sleep to envelop her, possibly for the last time.

_'Please Naruto..you are the only one who can do it. The only one that can win.'_ Her last thoughts were of hope for her fiance before she succumbed to unconsciousness.

Naruto looked at her body that was pressed against the ground, her hand no longer had any strength on his and it fell limp to the ground. His face went from shock and fear to complete and utter hatred for the shinobi before him, all culminating in the man that stood smiling on the platform in front of him.

_'No..you took her away. You took her away from me..my love..my fiancee. I'll kill them..I'll kill them ALL!'_

Naruto let out a mighty roar as his emotions led to Kyuubi's chakra to rush through him and engulf him in a cloak of five tails. No longer did the Kyuubi reign supreme over his emotions as he did in Naruto's youth; it was now Naruto that was willingly calling on the fox's chakra to bring ruin on his enemies.

The rebel shinobi passed glances amongst each other fearfully, they were terrified of the transformation that was happening before them.

"**You..you killed her. I'LL KILL YOU ALL!"** Naruto let out one last mighty roar before sending a demon-enhanced punch right through the purple wall before him, shattering it in a single attack.

The shinobi looked like they were prepared to fight him before he brought up his claws and slashed right through a man's midsection, leading him to fall apart at the waist. Some attempted to run but were soon crushed by a chakra fist or tail launched from the cloak, none would escape.

One attempted to stab him with his kunai only for the weapon to be blocked by the cloak. The man struggled for a moment to attempt to push deeper before Naruto turned to face him and gathered up both chakra and his own blood for an attack. Fearful, the man dropped his kunai and ran only to hear Naruto say the jutsu's name.

"**Tailed Beast Power: Menacing Ball!**" The large ball soon transformed into a beam of white light that enveloped the man and the buildings behind him, engulfing them in an epic explosion that decimated that part of town.

The citizens that had been humbly watching their enemies burn were now running in fear of the monster that really had no wish to hurt them at all. Remembering Mei's final request to him, Naruto gathered up chakra and went through a succession of hand signs.

"**Water Release: Great Waterfall!**" A large amount of water appeared over Naruto's head in the form of a flood and doused the flames on the large square platform.

While many would have some sort of burns, the entirety of the bloodline users had been saved by Naruto's quick save.

Focusing his attention now on the platform, Naruto now saw with horror that Kyo had taken a hostage.

_'Mei..no!'_

The woman was awake but groggy, still recovering from the loss of such a high amount of chakra. Kyo held her by the waist with a kunai to her throat, he was eying Naruto dangerously.

"Step back or else your precious fiancee dies! Take that damn cloak off too you bastard jinchuuriki!" Knowing he had little choice, Naruto backed up a few steps and disabled his cloak.

With the boy's features now returning to normal, Kyo now had the chance to kill both the problems with one fell swoop. Naruto saw Kyo's muscles tense and moved to his thigh for a three-pronged kunai, hoping he wasn't too late. Kyo began to slide the kunai across the kage's neck, releasing a large amount of liquid from her body at once.

Naruto's eyes quivered for a moment as he watched the true death of his fiancee in front of his eyes, not truly believing what he was witnessing. Then, he noticed something and wanted to smile at her actions. The Mei in front of him was not bleeding blood, but releasing _water_.

"What the hell?! A water clone?" Kyo had apparently noticed too but not quick enough as Naruto quickly appeared to his right and Mei to his left.

"**Boil Release: Mist Vortex!**" Naruto and Mei both released a large amount of acidic mist but moved their hands around to slowly form the almost invisible substance into a raging vortex.

_'Boil Release combined with shape manipulation?! Impossible!'_ Kyo's eyes widened at their attack, he had never seen an Uzumaki do this before.

Kyo was powerless as he was stuck in the middle of the acidic mist maelstrom, unable to do anything but scream in agony as his skin melted away. Naruto and Mei finished the attack by suddenly stopping their jutsu and sending a burned Kyo up into the air before they began their final attack.

Naruto held up one hand and began to focus his chakra into a swirling ball, soon enough a blue rasengan had formed. He placed the other hand above it and began to feed his lava element into the equation, further enhanced by Mei laying her hand over his and sending chakra through to the growing sphere.

The rasengan quickly transformed from blue to a dark crimson, the chunky jello of lava swished and swirled in the rotation that remained and had a low gravely whine. Naruto launched himself into the air with Mei's help and met Kyo's torso with the attack, yelling out its' name with finality to the death of an arch traitor.

"**Lava Release: Magma Rasengan!**"

The ball impacted the man's stomach and began to melt his entire body into the swirling mass, leaving nothing behind as Naruto fell back down to earth. He landed with a 'thump' and could barely stand after using so much chakra so quickly, Mei moved to support him. He looked at her with tears practically falling out of his eyes, Mei was concerned as to why he was so worried.

"Naruto, are you-" She was stopped from further talk as Naruto smashed his lips to hers, instantly making Mei forget about their surroundings and place her arms around his neck.

Naruto's tongue probed her mouth with hunger, the sight of her so-called death made Naruto wish to cherish the moment for as long as he could. Mei moaned from his ministrations, taken away with pleasure from his spontaneous attack on her taste buds that she could do nothing but allow him entrance to her mouth.

Naruto broke the kiss only to plant more and more light kisses all over her face leading her to giggle and push him away a bit.

"Naruto, what has gotten into you?" Naruto merely smiled at hearing her playful, flirty voice fill his thoughts again; for a time he had thought he would no longer hear it.

"I thought..I thought you had died. Back in the chakra barrier, I almost lost control because I thought you died.." Mei's smile disappeared when she heard this and rubbed his cheek with her hand, a sign of comfort from her.

"You know that I'm stronger than that Naruto, I only lost consciousness from the pressure that was all. Now come on, we still have to save these people." Naruto smiled and nodded, they moved to the pyre and began work on freeing everyone.

"**Multi Shadow Clone!**" Dozens of Naruto clones appeared and began to work on the bloodline user's bonds, quickly freeing the mass of people.

Naruto and Mei stood before those gathered, the entirety of the betrayed Kiri civilians stood before them now. The small children huddled to their mothers and fathers in fear of the others, the parents just smiled and told their children everything would be alright.

"_Don't worry darling, that's the Mizukage and her bodyguard. They will protect us."_

"_The Mizukage is with us Shiro, don't worry about anything."_

"_You see that man there? He is one of the Legendary Swordsmen of the village, everything will be alright with him here."_

Naruto and Mei listened in on their whispers of comfort, the children's eyes wondered towards them and shined in wonder. Mei cleared her throat to gain attention from the crowd and allowed her leadership abilities to take over.

"I'm glad we could rescue you all in time. My fiance and I are going to get you all outside of Kiri and from then on, it will be your choice whether you wish to follow us or not. My other bodyguard has been sent to find more loyal shinobi, we will wait here until they arrive." The Uzumaki looked amongst themselves, curious as to where the two were headed.

"Mizukage-sama, where are you headed after we leave Kiri?" She heard someone call out, she smiled and took the Mizukage hat from her waist where it had been tied.

"I..am no longer the Mizukage." She dropped her hat on the ground to be left there, eliciting numerous gasps from the crowd; she merely continued to smile as she glanced at Naruto. "We have decided it's time to head home, to raise our children where they belong. Naruto and I are going to live in Uzugakure!" If hearing the Mizukage step down from her position was surprising, hearing the resurrection of their old home took the cake.

"What?!"

"But I thought we were forbidden to resettle Uzu?"

"Why would we go back to that island?"

"Are you really going to walk away from Kiri, Mei-sama?"

Mei smiled as she looked towards Naruto and moved closer towards him, interlocking their fingers as a show of their love. The people's eyes softened, their leader was truly happy being with the man she loved so very much.

"I no longer wish to be a leader..I only wish to be a good wife and an even better mom." Mei rubbed her belly lovingly as the people gathered gasped again, their Mizukage was pregnant?!

"Wow!"

"I can't believe it!"

"Good for you Mei-sama!"

Naruto gripped her by the waist tightly and held her close, allowing Mei to snuggle into his shoulder and bask in the applause they were receiving. Naruto cleared his throat to speak next and the people quieted down.

"Now that you all know our intentions, it is best to decide where you will go now. We don't want you to feel obligated to come with us because really we don't expect any of the Uzumaki here to wish to reform the clan. I will tell you though that in our absence, our old friends the Lava Monkeys have been reconstructing Uzu and waiting for our return. But in the end, whether you wish to stay or go is up to you, now I think it's about time we-" Naruto was interrupted by a loud gush of air coming from behind him and came face to face with dozens of shuriken headed straight for the crowd.

Thinking quickly, the two kage-level Uzumaki combined their kekkei genkai into a stronger technique to block the attack.

"**Lava Release: Lava Wall!**" The bloodline users watched in amazement as their old kekkei genkai was harnessed, something they had nearly given up on using for the past thirty years.

As the wall crumbled, Naruto and Mei came face to face with at least a dozen enemy shinobi. Their Kiri headbands with slashes through them showed their true colors, rebels to the current Mizukage.

"I think that is enough of your taint of our land, the time for your death is now!" One of them shouted as they began to go through hand signs for an attack.

Naruto and Mei knew it would be difficult to protect the civilians while they fought, they had to weigh their options carefully on how to proceed. It looked as though the shinobi before them would give them no chance as they charged forward with the intent to kill the bloodline users.

Readying themselves for battle, Naruto and Mei relaxed when they heard a familiar voice break through the silence of the tension.

"**Hiramekarei Unleashed!**" The Kiri shinobi stopped their charge when they heard the attack name and turned to face the oncoming jutsu.

A large anvil had taken shape around Chojuro's sword and slammed into the enemy shinobi, scrambling them across the battlefield. Numerous other shadows sprouted from the darkness behind Chojuro and moved to finish off the ailing rebels, killing them without remorse as they lay wounded on the ground.

"Chojuro!" Naruto and Mei called out, never so glad to see their friend arrive right at the nick of time.

The boy scratched his head in embarrassment from all the attention and walked over to the two.

"Hehe..looks like I made right in time..I think." Naruto smiled and patted the blue haired boy on the shoulder, he was too bashful for his own good.

"We couldn't have done it without you Chojuro!" Mei took notice of the dozens of other Kiri shinobi standing behind Chojuro, she even thought she spied Ao amongst them.

"Are these the loyalists, Chojuro?" The boy nodded and stepped aside for her to view them; she was somewhat disappointed by the number compared to the hundreds of battle ready shinobi she once had.

Ao stepped forward and bowed to her, still not knowing she had renounced her place as their leader.

"Mizukage-sama, I tried my best but it seems Kyo was able to gain the people's favor while you were away. When they decided to strike tonight, they also attacked key military strong points against us that remained loyal. The surprise raids cost us dearly, nearly 50% were killed while another 10% rebelled to their side during the fighting. We are all that is left.." Ao looked down in shame, he was not able to serve her as well as he had thought.

Mei merely smiled and patted the man on the shoulder, raising her voice so that all could hear.

"It's alright Ao, you tried your best. I'm proud all of you were able to survive and have decided to stay on my side, but I have news that may disturb you. I am stepping down from my position as Mizukage in favor of leaving with my fiance to live in Uzugakure!" The Kiri shinobi went wide eyed, their Mizukage was leaving them?

"No!"

"Why Mizukage-sama?"

"We need you to fight with us so we can win!"

Mei chuckled and patted her stomach again, bringing attention to it from the shinobi gathered.

"Now would you still ask me to fight if you knew I was pregnant? With Naruto's child? I merely wish to get married and live life with my husband and children in a place that is safe. Naruto has promised that we will live peacefully in Uzu and I trust him with my life. I cannot ask you all to come with me, for that would be selfish of myself to think that all of you would wish to join us. I also know that some of you may have family here that turned against me, further reasoning for you to stay. Please know that neither Naruto or I hold anything against you, now I believe it's time we leave this place." Mei and Naruto waved for everyone to follow and began to quickly move through the city and right out the front gate with little resistance.

A few shinobi elected to stay behind and set up a resistance movement as the rest decided to head to Uzugakure with the Uzumaki. The bloodline users also decided to join in the mass exodus to Uzu, they were enthralled by Naruto and Mei's talk of peace and prosperity there and wished to see its' beauty for themselves.

They all boarded boats and set sail for the isle that was just a few hundred miles across the ocean from Kiri, the journey would only take them a few days.

Naruto and Mei stood on the deck of one of the transport ships, reflecting on the long day as they stared up into the full moon. It brought a strange calm over them, leaving their thoughts to wander from the present to the future and what it would bring for them and their clan.

They looked at one another with love pouring out of their eyes, the couple shared a kiss under the moon. It was passionate for they knew that whatever would happen, their love would never change.

000

_Kirigakure_

Madara and company arrived just as the Uzumaki left the square. The Akatsuki had observed the fights and rescue of all the bloodline users and found it quite amusing to see the exodus of the clans as they turned tail and ran. Madara looked over to the stage where Kyo once stood, now only ashes remained for the people of Kiri to look at as a leader of the so-called rebellion.

Madara then spotted something on the ground that brought a conniving smile to his lips. He walked slowly over to the object and picked it up, dusting off any rock or soot that had gotten onto its' regal features.

The old Mizukage then placed the kage hat over his head, a feeling of euphoria enveloped him as he remembered his days as Third Mizukage. The feeling of power, respect, and the ability to rule over a village with an iron fist brought him a sense of confidence in his plans and elation to his esteem as he walked towards the ruined Mizukage Suite.

He hummed a quiet tune as he was followed by his entourage of shinobi, the smile never leaving his masked face.

"Happy birthday to me. Hello Kirigakure, I'm back!"

With the power vacuum opened once again with Kyo's death, Madara was ready to take up the throne of the Rokudaime Mizukage himself. He would then have his army and his village back, the next step was the world and to kill the meddling Uzumaki before they could become any stronger.

000

_Time Skip, Three Days Later_

_Uzu Island_

_Shores_

Naruto and Mei's refugee group settled their boats on the white sand, allowing the natural barrier to be the wooden contraption's anchor. The older Uzumaki looked around forlornly, as if memories of their childhood days living there were now resurfacing. The children reacted in wonderment to the signs of wild life and the tropical forest, they had never seen such things before.

Chojuro came up along with an entourage of Kiri shinobi to Naruto and Mei who were standing at the treeline of the forest.

"Naruto-koi, are you sure you can find the way?" Naruto nodded, he remembered his way thanks to what Yomara had told him the first time he had visited.

"Yep, I can lead us there, shouldn't take us too long either." Mei turned to notice Chojuro and smiled at the younger ninja, he did the same to her.

"Yes Chojuro? Is everyone alright? We were in a bit of a rush to leave and many were unable to get all their belongings.." The boy merely shook his head, the people had surprisingly not complained as much as they had been expect to.

"It's not that Mei-sama, we were just wondering..are we still a part of the alliance with the other villages?" Naruto and Mei looked at each other with doubt, now that she had been ousted, Kiri technically did not stand within the alliance.

"No Chojuro, we are no longer a Kiri fighting force so we are not in the alliance. However..if we decide to start up a village here, namely Uzugakure, then maybe we could reapply for a seat in the joint shinobi force when we are ready." The men shifted uncomfortably, not used to being leaderless in an unknown land.

"I was just asking because..well everyone wanted to know who was in charge. We all looked to you for guidance but now that you are not the Mizukage, we wish to know who the leader is?" Mei smirked and turned towards Naruto who had a good idea of what she was thinking.

"Well, my husband-to-be here is _my_ leader. I'm not sure if you are willing to follow him or not, but if you give him your support, we may call him the Uzukage. That is, if you are willing to serve Uzugakure as you did Kiri?" The men looked amongst themselves in indecision, the choice was a difficult one.

While they trusted Mei and Naruto, to let go of their home was a difficult thing. They knew little to nothing about the Uzumaki or the island and did not know how well they would fit in. The conversation had been announced to the people as well and many of the Uzumaki came up and smiled to the couple.

"We are willing to follow Naruto-san if he truly wishes to lead us. His accomplishments have been lauded amongst both Uzumaki and Kiri citizen alike and his knowledge of this island and our customs is second only to yours, Mizukage. Many of the men gathered here still have access to their bloodline as do some women, I'm sure if an Uzumaki was to lead us they would be willing to enlist in the village again." Everything was going so fast for them, they wanted him to be leader? The Shodai Uzukage?

"Now wait a minute everyone, I'm not leader material! I have no leadership capability like Mei does, how can I be a leader of a village?" Mei smiled, rubbing his cheek with her hand in an attempt to comfort him.

"Don't worry Naru-koi, you forget that I am willing to help you in your duties until you get a hang of them. The people here trust you with their lives since you saved them, I have trusted you with my life since I first met you, the shinobi here honor and respect you. We stand united beneath your leadership Naruto, your influence is greater than you think. We support you all the way, right?" She turned around to see the citizens and shinobi bow to Naruto and Mei, something that shocked them both.

The citizens raised their arms in praise and shouted at the tops of their lungs in celebration. The young children clapped and clapped for the two still standing, not really sure what to make of the party going on.

"Shodai Uzukage! Naruto Uzumaki!"

"Shodai Uzukage!"

"Hurray for Uzu!"

"The Uzumaki have returned!"

Naruto couldn't believe what was going on in front of him, the people..they wanted him to lead. He would be a kage, not the Hokage like he always thought in his youth but the _Uzukage_, something that sounded even better now. But he was still unsure so he held up his hands for quiet, the people noticed and lowered their shouts to mere whispers.

"I..I don't know what to say..thank you all for your support. I'm still not sure I'm the right choice..but I will do my best if it truly comes to me being the leader of you all." Naruto took a bow in front of them all, shocking them with his modesty and level of respect to the people before him. "Now let's not worry about this for now, we need to go see our new homes!" The people cheered as Naruto led them into the jungle, their worries had been allayed by their new leader with such a simple speech and bow.

The future was uncertain for the people of Uzu, but they had an ambitious goal and the comings of a great leader in the shape of Naruto Uzumaki. He was the true rebirth of the Uzumaki, their leader had returned.

000

Done! Short filler chapter, time skips will be rampant and it will be somewhat difficult to follow but I'm sure you will all be satisfied because by the end we will have an up and running village! I'm sorry that it seems rushed but all this is necessary for the story to progress so you don't have to tell me all that.

And I also don't want to hear any, 'why do the Uzumaki want him for leader so quickly?'. Geez, he saved their lives, has been known throughout the village for his deeds, he is the fiancee of the Mizukage and gave them a chance to live somewhere safe from war. I would follow Naruto, wouldn't you?


	21. Getting Settled, The Uzumaki Rebirth!

Uzumaki Clan's Rebirth

Chapter 21

Getting Settled, The Uzumaki Rebirth!

**Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO!**

"speaking"

_'thinking'_

"**Jutsu**"

**"Tailed Beast Speak"**

NaruxMei

**BLOODLINE WARNING**: Naruto uses **Lava** and **Boil** Release in this story. He has three elements in total because of his bloodlimit, Fire, Water, and Earth.

Ha! I knew I would name a chapter after the title some day!

This chapter will be all about the Uzumaki and Uzugakure with little filler parts from the other kage to keep the story rolling. You will have a lot of Uzu fluff here, the complete description of the city, Uzu outfits, Naruto's Uzukage uniform and blah blah blah.

Enjoy!

One last thing, it's more of a request really. As you all have come to realize, this story is extremely AU and I'm attempting to have quite a rich background for the Uzumaki as far as fluff goes. As such, this goes from their unique village structure to their uniforms and outfits. While my imagination pictures my original intent perfectly in my mind, my descriptions might _not_ do justice to you, the readers.

So what I'm trying to say is, if any of you are good artists or you know of good artists that would be willing to draw the outfits or settings of the story on Uzu, it would be much appreciated. This is absolutely **not** necessary and I don't want you to feel obligated to go draw something, I just am curious to see if anyone would be seriously interested in drawing any of the Uzumaki fluff.

Contact me if you have any ideas on how to solve this request of mine!

000

_Uzu Island_

_Uzugakure_

Naruto walked through the genjutsu barrier with ease, the large group of refugees slowly flowed through behind him dumbstruck that they had just arrived in the village. One moment they had been following Naruto and the next he disappears into thin air with the forest.

Mei came up behind him and widened her eyes at the splendor of their new home, this was the first time she had been there since her birth; combined with Naruto's description, the place was grander than she could imagine. Naruto looked at her and smiled, glad that she was so happy about their new home as he was.

He turned around and addressed the growing crowd that stayed right at the gate of the village, afraid to walk any farther in to the unknown place. By seeing their new leader in front of them smile, they all began to smile with confidence as well.

"We all have had quite a journey to get here, there has been heartache, loss, and insurmountable grief over this exodus." Naruto looked down, tears shimmering in his eyes over those they had lost to get there, countless Kiri shinobi died because of them.

With their leader crying, the others began to feel tears well up in their own eyes. As the people began to cry for those lost, Naruto wiped away his and his fiancee's tears; a smile had come over his face.

"But..we now see the fruits of their sacrifice! Through their loss and our famous determination and strength, the Uzumaki are united again under one banner! The Hyo and Ranmaru have even graced us with their presence, further strengthening us! With my fellow shinobi here, we will forge a better tomorrow, one that will allow us to have peace for all!" The people looked up at the Uzukage as he made the speech, feeling confidence and pride rush through them at his words.

The crowd began to cheer and applaud Naruto as he turned around and began to lead the civilians and shinobi through the main street of Uzugakure. The people began to disperse as they entered the empty buildings and chose their rooms, houses and apartments alike were soon filled without much fuss at all. Little had changed since Naruto's last visit, all the buildings were still in their spiral shape that extended to the heavens and were in the vibrant colors of black, red, and orange.

Mei and Naruto watched the process with the Kiri shinobi beside them, they were all happy to see that the people were getting well acquainted with their surroundings.

"Well...now what should we do?" Naruto asked Mei, he wasn't really sure what to do in situations like this.

Mei brought a finger up to her chin and stared at the sky in thought as everyone waited for her answer.

"Our people left many of their belongings behind, we should make an effort to get them back as soon as possible. Naruto and I also have some things we should probably pick up from our estate..but how do we get in and out of Kiri quickly?" The Kiri shinobi looked to one another in confusion because they had no answer to give her; Naruto merely smirked.

He brought up a single hand sign and yelled out his signature jutsu.

"**Multi Shadow Clone!**" Hundreds of Naruto clones appeared on the roofs surrounding the area and looked down at the group of ninja. Everyone looked around in amazement at the number of clones that Naruto had produced, the boy himself had a big smirk on his face.

"Alright boys! Looks like you are the movers for today! Go back to Kiri and get everyone's belongings the best you can, check their estates! Don't forget to bring my sword either!" A resounding 'yes sir!' was heard from the clones as they flashed out of sight with the Hiraishin.

"I almost forgot you could do that Naru-koi, good thing you learned it. Now..I believe we all should retire to our homes and wait for the clones to arrive." The ninja soon dispersed leaving the Uzumaki alone, Mei hooked an arm around Naruto's and pressed herself against him lovingly. "Take me home koi."

Naruto looked to her smiling face and smirked, switching their places in a flash where Mei was now in his arms being held like a bride. He took off straight for the Uzumaki compound where a large convoy of Uzumaki were still getting acquainted to living in.

"Naruto!" Mei slapped his chest playfully for just picking her up like that but let it slide for the romance of the action.

He merely kept smiling as he passed the walls that surrounded the large compound with a single gate for entry. Many Uzumaki stopped in their unpacking and exploration to bow to the couple as they passed through the residential section of the compound; the lovers waved to everyone as they passed by.

They soon arrived at the main house, the single two-story building with an oriental-style to its roofing shape. The colors of it made both of them shiver in delight, the roof tiles were red and black while the walls were a bright orange in color. The Uzumaki swirl adorned the front of the house on an blank side of the wall, the crest of the clan hung proudly to where anyone could see it from within the compound.

The couple entered to be greeted with a large welcoming area similar to the Terumi estate's. The walls were a bright red and orange with numerous Uzumaki heirlooms covering the walls and they could see three doors along with a staircase to the second floor. Naruto set Mei down and began to explore the house with her, to get acquainted with their new home.

A half an hour later, Naruto had explored almost every room in the estate. There was a kitchen, dining room, living room, and dojo on the first floor and that excluded the outside grounds within the inner compound. All the walls were vibrant colors of red, orange, and black with numerous Uzumaki influences spread across the objects and heirlooms in the rooms.

Upstairs was where he stood now, so far he had found a bathroom and at least three bedrooms; none of which had stood out to him as to be the clan head's room. He had two rooms left so he decided to head towards the one that looked like it could be a bedroom.

The door was heavily ornamented, an Uzumaki swirl adorned it and an old writing Naruto couldn't begin to translate had a single word printed above the symbol. Walking within the new area, Naruto was astounded to find what must have been the clan head bedroom.

Entering the large bed chambers, Naruto was astounded by the sheer space that was held there. The bed was located in the center of the room, the four bedposts held together a white curtain that could hide the occupants from the morning rays of sunlight. The sheets were black while the pillows were a deep crimson, the colors meshing perfectly.

_'Looks like silk and fur as well..'_ Naruto thought as he touched the soft sheets, already drooling over sleeping in such a bed like this.

He continued to explore around the room finding more spots of interest. The room had a bathroom and a large closet, stocked full with old Uzumaki uniforms. Naruto looked inside the closet and found both male and female outfits so he took one out for himself to wear. His Kiri jounin gear was wrecked from the fight in Iron and the rebellion in Kiri and he wanted to get out of it as soon as possible.

The new outfit was similar to his child outfit except it was larger and fitted more sensibly. The shirt was long-sleeved and black with the Uzu symbol on the back where his shoulder blades were. The pants were standard black shinobi pants that reached to his ankles where he kept his old black leggings and sandals.

Naruto slowly took off his Kiri headband, somewhat hesitating at the action. He had become so attached to the thing but yet even he knew that it was time to let it go so he moved back into the main room and placed the headband within his new desk. He headed back into the closet and reached further in to find a box full of Uzu headbands, all with the standard Uzu color schemes. (Orange, Red, and Black).

Naruto chose the red clothe and tied the new forehead protector proudly on his head. He adjusted it in the mirror before turning back to the closet door to leave. That was when he caught sight of _them_. Naruto quickly turned his head around to see if he was correct and he was, the closet must have been fully stocked to equip an army with clothing not just a single person.

There were dozens of Uzu jounin flak jackets hanging on the coat rack, their deep crimson color was a contrast to the other major nation's color schemes. Naruto quickly went over and took one for himself, looking over the design and comparing it to Kiri and Konoha's.

It provided two scroll pockets on either side with smaller equipment pouches at its hips. It provided no neck protection with an extended turtleneck like his Kiri one did, however it provided extra arm protection with a scale-like metal armor that extended from the shoulder to the elbow. All in all, Naruto liked it and while it was slightly heavier with the extra armor, it provided durability with increased protection to the user.

He zipped it up around him and exited the closet to find Mei inside and exploring the room as he had done.

"Mei-hime, this closet is stocked with Uzu clothing. Why don't you change out of that so we can wash it. It'll give you a chance to try on something that is a bit more..folksy." Mei turned to look at him and widened her eyes at his new look, he looked exactly like a jounin of Uzu.

"Naru-koi, that sounds like a wonderful idea. I think I will permanently wear our traditional clothing from now on, it is much more comfortable in this tropical climate anyway." She began to walk to the closet but slowed to a crawl as she passed him, allowing her nimble fingers to fleet across his cheek.

"And I must say..you look so empowering in that Uzu shinobi outfit. I can't wait until we find some kage robes to put you in." Naruto shivered at her touch as she giggled and walked into the closet to change.

_'Kage robes huh..guess I'll go look in the other room since I have already checked here.'_ Naruto headed out of the room and went across the hall to find the other room, it too was decorated to signify importance.

Naruto attempted to open it but found it locked and unable to budge. He attempted to break it down only to be forcefully repulsed when the door glowed a bright red and a ghostly image of an Uzu symbol appeared over the door like a shield. Brushing himself off the ground, Naruto carefully inspected the door for a better way to get inside.

_'Hm..there is a doorknob, Uzu symbol...no traps other than this shield seal and no secret tiles to press..'_ Naruto continued to observe until he noticed how the Uzu symbol lit up while the shield was active.

Curious, Naruto placed his hand over the symbol to see if it was giving off heat but was rewarded with a click of a bolt and the door coming unhinged. The blond looked at his hand curiously but could only guess that his fingerprint was what allowed him to get inside. He peered into the room to find it pitch black, there were no windows or sources of light of any kind.

Stepping within the room, Naruto gulped as he heard the door slam shut behind him and bathe him in darkness. A single light came on within the dark sarcophagus-like place, a wall had been illuminated on the far side of the room. Having no other direction to head towards, Naruto moved to the wall and inspected it for anything out of the ordinary.

He once again found the strange writing written on the wall and could only guess that it was an ancient language utilized by the Uzumaki before their induction into Kiri. There once again also happened to be an Uzu symbol on the wall so Naruto pressed it and was rewarded with a flash of light, illuminating the entire room and temporarily blinding him.

"AH!" Naruto moved his arms up to cover his hurt eyes and slowly blinked the pain away as the room returned to darkness save for the wall in front of him.

He read the wall again to find that he could now _understand_ the strange language, or at least he could read it; the riddle posed before him made it difficult to grasp the concept.

_Many have tried to obtain the treasure of ancestors, yet all have failed. Those who have come before this sarcophagi have all yielded to its guardian of infinite riddle, what could you do to solve it?_

_If you answer incorrect, the reward to future generations will once again be sealed until one can be found worthy centuries from now. Will you be the first to accomplish the feat? Or will you be the latest failure to read the riddle?_

_'What humans fight for, the epitome of war and ultimately the victory all wish for. The prize at the end of the tunnel, the basest craving of any who come into being of this world. What is it that humans seek but yet cannot attain alone?'_

Naruto read the riddle before him and considered his options carefully, if he failed the treasure would be locked away for many centuries. What was apparently inside this sarcophagi could turn the war in their favor, or it could lead to their ultimate down fall.

_'What is it that humans want but cannot or at least have not yet achieved? Power? Territory? Life?Love?..no that isn't it. Those are all guesses that I'm sure have been made.'_ Naruto continued to ponder the riddle and thought what he wanted in all the world.

_'A loving wife, a large family, a house where we can live together and no war to get in our way. Wait..war? The epitome of war..the end result that everyone wishes for..peace!'_ It hit Naruto like a ton of bricks, end the end everyone always wanted peace!

No matter what their methods, in the end any who go to war want peace at the end of the conflict! True peace had never been attained because humans never united under a single banner, they were alone amongst each other.

"The answer to your riddle is..peace!" Naruto spoke loudly, his voice bounced across the walls and reverberated back into his ears.

Nothing happened for many long moments, causing Naruto to fear that he had been incorrect after all. After a full minute, the glyphs began to glow a bright red and illuminated the room without the lights, casting a red sheen over the small area.

Naruto saw that the writing shifted into a new phrase in response to his answer, his heartbeat skyrocketed with hope that he had been correct.

_What is your name?_

"Naruto..Naruto Uzumaki." The writing paused before shifting again, the light show dimmed again to allow Naruto to read the final words.

_Naruto Uzumaki, you are the first of any Uzumaki or man to successfully answer this question posed. Those before answered with your original thoughts, Power, Respect, and more Conflict. The previous generations were blinded from the true answer, but it seems as though you have finally been shown the true path to world peace._

_Within this room lies a few treasured gifts left behind by the first generations of Uzumaki, before the village had ever been created. Those times were simple yet the people had great foresight, able to see with their own eyes the world uniting under separate banners to fight one another. In their haste to protect their secrets and innovations, the Uzumaki left behind some of their oldest and most treasured secrets beneath the ground of this place._

_A trap door behind you will lead you to your rightful heritage. Take what information is stored there and use it to protect your people and lead the world to peace. Goodbye Naruto Uzumaki, child of prophecy._

Naruto's eyes widened, he was part of a prophecy?!

"Wait!..At least tell me who you are?" He thought that the writing would disregard him but instead it obliged him with a final line of writing.

_My name has been lost to the time, think of me as the guardian of the vault that you have rightly held the honor of opening._

The lighting dimmed for the last time and Naruto heard a series of pops and clicks and turned around to see the hallway door swing open and reveal his way out. He looked at the ground and saw that a trap door had materialized, the path down to the vault.

He leaned down and took the old stone handle of the trapdoor and pulled it up to reveal a very small passage that led down to the underground. It would be a tight fit as he moved down with the ladder but he decided to go on down anyway.

_'I wonder what could be down here..'_ Naruto thought as he descended into darkness to find his latest inheritance from his ancestors.

The trip took him five minutes to reach the extremely small room that apparently held treasure of some sort. As he set his feet down on solid ground, he heard a sickening cracking sound bounce across the walls and return to him.

He looked down at his feat to find bones, enough to be at least three people to have died in the place below.

_'They must have been charged with putting the relics in and then guarding them until their death, poor guys..'_ Naruto silently mourned their loss as he traversed a few feet to find a single chest on a pedestal.

It was relatively large but was definitely many centuries old, it was wooden with small details of gold along its edges. Instead of a keyhole, an Uzu symbol took the place of the lock. This one was too small for Naruto to fit his hand on to he merely placed a finger onto the small button and watched in amazement as it lit up before a clicking sound could be heard.

Naruto watched with barely contained anxiousness as the chest lid slowly rose to reveal what was inside. Naruto had been watching so intently that he hadn't counted on the dust to fly out and hit him in the eyes, causing him to shriek in pain and rub the dust out.

Clearing up his viewing devices, Naruto once again peered inside and gaped at what he saw. An age old outfit made centuries before lay untouched and unblemished, not looking a day older than since its day of creation.

_'My god...its a..kage outfit.'_ Naruto slowly took the clothing out, careful not to grip it offensively lest it disappear in his arms.

He held it up to see and heard a light 'clack' on the floor to find that his action had undone the kage hat that had been tied loosely to the outfit's waist. Naruto took in many deep breathes on the verge of hyperventilating at his discovery.

Sure, the people had referred to him as the Shodai Uzukage and he had accepted his fate as such by now but..to hold a kage outfit in his hands was another story. It truly laid the realization of his new position on him, the outfit was just as much of a symbol of power as it was a symbol of office. His hands slightly quivered as he looked over the relatively familiar design, save for the colors.

The main part of the robe was white, just like any kage's, however, the place where the village colors were placed on the chest was a deep black. Naruto always thought of himself becoming the Hokage and having the color be red but for some reason he smiled in appreciation to the plain yet striking jet black color of night that adorned the kage outfit.

With trembling appendages, Naruto slowly fitted the loose robe over his clothing and wore it with pride as he found it to be a perfect fit. He bent down and picked up the hat to find it even more striking than the robe itself, truly made for an Uzumaki kage.

The village color was once again a deep black, taking up almost the entire top of the hat save for where the village kanji would be written. Instead of the kanji for Uzumaki, the Uzumaki swirl adorned the small blank space, the deep red contrasting the dominant black with a pure beauty to it.

Naruto placed the kage hat over his head and tied the robe to completely cover his underclothing, leaving him in a full fledged kage outfit.

_'Wait until Mei sees this! But wait, this can't be all of the treasure right?'_ Naruto moved back to the chest and found two scrolls which had not withstood the test of time as well as the kage robes.

The wrinkly yellow paper felt brittle to the touch yet held together surprisingly well as Naruto stowed one scroll away within his robe and read what the scroll contained.

_'These are..some of the most ancient jutsu of the Uzumaki and of the world over. **Secret Art: Jinchuuriki Sealing**, **Boil Release:** **Mist Maelstrom**, **Secret Art: Tailed Beast Control**, there is so much more as well. These secrets have been coveted for so long, now I am faced with a choice. Keep them and strengthen the Uzumaki or share them with the world to further promote peace..I must think on this.'_ Naruto stowed that scroll away and hesitated when going to grab the second scroll from his pocket; he decided to read it later.

He slowly closed the chest and made his way back up the ladder, albeit more slowly with the bulky robes that clung to his feet. As he neared the trap door, Naruto could hear faint cries of alarm from his fiancee, no doubt worried about his sudden disappearance.

Naruto got out of the narrow passage and closed the door before leaving the room entirely. As soon as he entered the long hallway of the second floor, he was tackled by an irate Mei. He had not answered her when she called for him and then made her worry with his sudden disappearance.

"There you are! Alright Mr. Uzumaki, you have a..lot..of.." Mei quieted down as she noticed just what he was wearing, the white and black robes made her think of her days as the Mizukage.

"Naruto..this is..a kage robe! Where did you get it?!" Naruto got up off the ground and lifted her up as well, taking in her new/old outfit.

She now wore the same Uzu uniform he had seen in his mother's belongings. She wore what was a standard Uzu woman battle outfit, a red robe-like uniform that could only cover her torso and a single long sleeve covered her left arm while the right was completely revealed. Her legs were barely covered at all with pink shorts that reached only to her mid thigh, her feet were covered in regal sandals. (Fuka's uniform from Shippuden Filler Arc).

"You don't look too bad yourself Mei." She blushed at his compliment and smoothed out her new dress as he continued to stare.

"Seriously though Naruto, where did you find this? It's amazing!" She felt the fabric and could feel pure silk, it was much nicer than her old kage robes.

"It is a gift of inheritance from our ancestors and that is all I will say. I like it too though, there are so many hidden seals on the thing though I got a headache trying to figure out what all they could do." Mei looked closer and could see almost invisible writing covering the fabric, she could only guess them to enhance the wearer in battle.

"We must show the people, but first let me show you what I found!" Mei took his hand and brought him back into their new room.

She led him over to the desk where she had left two oddly shaped weapons that Naruto had never seen before. Mei smirked at his bewilderment and quickly picked up one of the blades, twirling it in the air with practiced ease as her fiance watched in wonder.

"These are called scimitars, a curved blade that has been wielded uniquely by the Uzumaki for centuries. I found them hidden away within a scroll that was in the closet, there are various other weapons stored there as well. My father used these weapons back in Kiri to teach me swordplay and I must say modestly that I am quite experienced with them." Naruto smiled and pecked her lips in the moment of pride he had for the woman in front of him, she was so beautiful and graceful even as she held a deadly weapon.

"Well, all that remains is for me to find a suitable place for you in the ninja ranking system huh? Let's see, I would place you as a jounin but you deserve higher.." Naruto was stopped from his thinking when Mei placed both hands on his cheeks and brought him in for a kiss.

Mei leaned back with a smile as she looked into his dazed blue eyes with her own emerald ones.

"I am fine with jounin Naruto, besides, you wouldn't want me to have too much power. I am pregnant and will soon be expecting so I think it's best if you give me a position where no one will expect much from me." Naruto nodded at her conclusion to this and looked at her waist to see an Uzu headband fitted snugly around her hips as if it was a belt.

_'That makes two official Uzu shinobi enlisted, now I just need a few hundred more and we are all set.'_ He thought with a grimace, he really didn't want to draft anyone but he needed a quick boost in numbers for the war.

"Mei, you said that there were more weapons in the closet? I am beginning to think that this place is a storage warehouse instead of an estate, it seems like there is everything we need to start Uzugakure back up in our closet!" Mei smiled and walked over to the balcony that connected to their room, it gave an unparalleled view of the entire city with the mountain their estate had been placed on.

Naruto joined her and placed an arm around her waist as they observed the city that was already bustling with activity. People conversed throughout the streets and within the compounds, Kiri shinobi aimlessly patrolled the borders of the hidden village unsure of what else to do. Without any real wall other than a small stone barrier that barely stood over eight feet tall, the rainforest that surrounded the village was clearly visible with its teeming wild life.

"It is so beautiful, isn't it Naru-koi?" Naruto hugged her tighter and nodded his head, staying silent as they watched over their people.

"Yes, yes it is."

000

_One Week Later_

_Uzugakure_

_Newly Formed 'Shinobi District'_

Naruto and Mei stood before a large assembly of citizens and shinobi where he had asked everyone to meet for a groundbreaking ceremony. The location was to be held in the area of the city Naruto had declared to be the shinobi district where all shinobi living quarters and shops would be located. The ceremony was to both reveal this new district to the citizenry and to serve as the jump start in recruitment for Uzu's military force.

"People of Uzu! It brings me great honor to announce today that we are now taking the first step in protecting this village from the many threats outside of our walls. Our loyal shinobi that have decided to stay with us from Kiri now have a place to live here while they wait for Kiri to be liberated! New jobs for all civilians are now available as we will begin to trade with the other major nations and receive resources and materials to create, buy, and sell. But I must ask now, how much longer will it be before Uzu creates its own shinobi corps?" The people looked amongst one another for the answer to their Uzukage's question, sometimes taking glances at the previous Mizukage or the Kiri shinobi standing behind them.

"We need to begin recruiting!"

"I want to join!"

"Me too!"

"I want to protect my family and my village!"

A loud uproar was heard after the statements were announced, the people cheered in patriotic fervor over getting to protect their new home. Naruto smiled and held up his hands for quiet, he allowed the people to settle down before continuing.

"I'm glad that there is no short supply of volunteers for the Uzu shinobi corps, because I hope that one day we will rival the Great Elemental Nations in strength! With our drive we can accomplish anything we set our minds to! Now I have some more good news for you all, it appears as though our Kiri friends have decided to join Uzu's shinobi force! Let us welcome them!"

The Kiri shinobi came from behind the platform and up on roofs to stand before the Uzukage. Ao and Chojuro were at the front of the line and stood facing the Shodai Uzukage and his fiancee with smiles on their faces. Slowly, the two began to kneel as did the other Kiri shinobi in a sign of allegiance to the Uzu people instead of Kiri.

Naruto watched with a neutral face as they slowly took their headbands off and hesitantly put them away. He remembered having the same feeling over a week ago back in the Uzumaki estate when he officially changed his loyalties.

"We submit to your command, Uzukage-sama!" Ao announced where a large cheer rose from the people for the Kiri shinobi now becoming Uzu.

Naruto turned to Mei and she smiled at him before picking up a large box and handing it to him. Naruto set it down next to his feet and took out one of the objects held within, a red Uzu headband. He moved over to Ao, slowly to more accentuate the emotional feelings that the ceremony was supposed to bring out.

Ao watched as Naruto came up to him with his new headband and smiled when Naruto tied the piece of clothe around his head. The crowd once again erupted into a bout of cheering and applause as the first Kiri shinobi officially switched over to Uzu and Naruto repeated the same process for Chojuro.

The remaining shinobi were each handed a headband personally by Naruto or Mei and each were given the honorary rank of chunin or jounin for their loyal service in the rebellion and their willing overturn of allegiance to Uzu.

Naruto looked out amongst the audience as the new Uzu shinobi messed with their new forehead protectors and vests, they were getting used to the new look. He saw many young children and even some academy-aged boys and girls looking at them in wonder, hoping that they could be like a ninja some day.

"For those amongst my civilian gathering here who are willing to take up arms as a shinobi, please come forward now!" There was no movement at first, the people wondering who would be the first to take a giant plunge.

A man, in his mid-30's, came forward and bowed before his Uzukage. Naruto could tell from the red hair and gray eyes that the man was an Uzumaki and he could only guess that he also contained an active bloodline.

"I wish to join these brave shinobi here, Uzukage-sama!" Naruto and Mei looked at one another and smiled when a large procession of men and even women came forward to kneel before them.

They began the process again of handing out the available headbands and allowed the citizens to return to their families.

"Those who have just come forward are not yet officially shinobi under my command. As you all know, shinobi aspirants must take tests to see if they have what it takes to join the ninja ranks. My confidence in you does not waver though, because I have handed out each and every one of you a headband. This shows that I believe in my heart that every one of you will pass the test!" A resounding cheer was heard for Naruto's confident speech in his people, even Mei joined in the applause.

"To finish this assembly, I have two final things to say. Thanks to the existing shinobi that have integrated from Uzu, we now have sufficient staff for a shinobi academy to be opened. Construction has already begun and when it is completed, you may have the privilege of sending your children who wish to learn the shinobi arts there. Of course, none of you have to send your children if you do not wish to." Naruto watched the crowd and especially the children for signs of reaction.

The general populace seemed please with such progress and many of the children looked even more excited to learn in an academy.

"My final announcement is actually a request. While our small nation is too small to have a true daimyo in charge, at least for now, I do wish to set up a civilian arm of government. They will handle the job of eventually receiving and sending mission contracts here to Uzu and to maintain the citizenry of Uzu's needs and rights. They will serve as my advisers when it comes to any matters concerning the civilians of Uzu island. If you are interested in the position and believe you have what it takes, please come see me in the Uzumaki compound." And with that, Naruto moved to Mei and enveloped her in his arms before flashing away.

000

_Kumogakure_

_Raikage's Office_

A sat on his couch as he crudely wrote a message on a scroll for the next kage meeting to be held. It had been over two weeks since the summit and he decided that it was time to organize the five village's shinobi force. His assistant was handed the note and left to rewrite it in a more neat handwriting and to make copies of it.

_'Almost time..Akatsuki's days are numbered.'_

Suddenly, a Kumo shinobi rushed into the room after practically busting the doors down. He was huffing from exhaustion and out of breathe but was still able to kneel before his kage. A grimaced at the interruption and yelled out an order so he could hear the reasoning behind his intrusion.

"Sir! I have grave news from the border patrols, an Akatsuki has been sighted moving rapidly through the Valley of Thunder and Lightning!" A's eyes widened to the point where the veins could be seen, that was the area where his brother trained.

_'Bee is in trouble! Dammit!'_

"Move four cells to support my brother! I don't care if you have to send a battalion but do not allow them to take Bee!" The man saluted and made his way out the door to begin the preparations.

000

_Kirigakure_

_Unknown Location_

_Resistance Headquarters_

Miro Rotoda sat in a chair reading over a message that had just been intercepted. The resistance movement had done little in the time between the rebellion and now but Miro thanked kami that they were there to take this message. With the Rokudaime Mizukage Madara Uchiha in charge, if the message had been received by him then he could have laid a trap for the kage.

He sent for one of his shinobi runners and had them deliver the message to Uzu island.

_'I only hope he gets there in time.'_

000

_A Few Days Later_

_Uzugakure_

_Uzumaki Compound_

Naruto and Mei sat next to one another in Naruto's study, a small room that was discovered on the first floor recently by the pair. She was teaching Naruto the proper way to file paperwork and organize the documents from matter of priority.

Contrary to all the complaining the previous kage had done (save Mei), Naruto actually enjoyed his job very much. He would actually take the time to read all the documents and ordinances carefully before stamping or signing them and would ask Mei intelligent questions about matters of importance.

Currently, Naruto was just finishing up another document sent from the recently created Civilian Council for further orders of consumer goods for the people. Mei watched him work and smiled, moving behind his chair and sensuously rubbing his shoulders while her breasts pushed up against his neck. With her new outfit that was much tighter, her breasts were somewhat covered better for the exchange of being more accentuated under the clothe.

_'He is working so hard, my little Uzukage is just the perfect man.'_

Naruto blushed a bit as he felt Mei's breasts push up against him and slowly relaxed into her touch. The massage became much more heated when Naruto got up from the seat and turned around in Mei's arms. She was only taken by surprise for a second when Naruto inclined his head and made his lips meet with hers, their tongues playfully dueling with one another in nothing but love.

Naruto's curious hands moved to her breasts and thighs, giving Mei her payment in full for her wonderful massage. She moaned from his ministrations and began to take off his robes when a knock on the door to their house meant that someone needed the Uzukage.

Sighing, Naruto slowly moved away from Mei with a peck on the cheek for a goodbye. Mei watched him leave and pouted at another failed chance to bed with her Uzukage.

_'I'll get him next time..never thought I would learn to hate villagers so much. This must be how Naruto felt when I had to leave for work everyday, it must have been very hard on him.'_

Naruto opened the gate to his house's inner compound to be met with two Uzu jounin and a Kiri resistance messenger. The two jounin bowed and one indicated the messenger with his hand as he spoke.

"Sir, this messenger has arrived with a document that was intercepted from Kumo to the current Kiri regime. It was believed to be of the utmost importance so they sent it as soon as possible." Naruto nodded and indicated for the man to give the message with an outstretched hand.

The man was hesitant for a second because he had planned on handing it over to Mei but the impatient look in Naruto's eyes meant that time was of the essence. He dug into his pocket and handed Naruto a small scroll with the addressee name of the Mizukage written on it.

He unfurled the message and read its contents.

_To The Mizukage of Kirigakure, Mei Terumi_

_Mizukage, the Raikage has requested your presence in Kumogakure to hold the first war council meeting for the five-village alliance. All other kage have been notified and all that is required of you is to come to the meeting to which will be held in one week; please bring one bodyguard._

Naruto finished reading the message and nodded, satisfied with the turn of events. He nodded again in thanks to the three men before him and dismissed them before heading back inside to the estate. He was welcomed by the arms of his fiancee and wrapped his own arms around her, giving into the kiss she wanted so bad.

Mei broke their lip lock to ask what was the commotion at the gate.

"Naruto, what did they want?" The blonde took the message back out and handed it to her allowing her to read the message to be sent to her.

Her expression did not change and she merely looked up from the message with a serious gaze into his eyes. It was now time for Naruto to take up her place in the alliance as the Uzukage and he now had to make the big decisions for a nation.

"Who will you take?" Naruto smirked and pointed at her, bringing her to widen her eyes in curiosity.

"You, Mei-hime. I need you to come along to help explain the events that have led up to our leaving of Kiri and the creation of Uzu and your voucher of my place as the Uzukage. I will be seen with more skepticism than Gaara the Kazekage has been viewed with." Mei nodded to his conclusion, they were sound reasons that she had not first thought of.

_'I expected him to pick Ao or Chojuro.'_ She absently thought in response to his choice.

"We will begin packing in a few days and prepare for our departure. I do not wish to leave the village so soon after its fragile creation but this is important to us. It will not only bring world recognition to our new country but also give us a chance to develop trade contracts with the major nations." Mei smiled at his analysis, Naruto was already thinking like a nation's leader.

"Speaking of which, I have a few ideas I would like to run by you and Ao. They are additional ranks and such within our organization of the shinobi forces. With our particularly unique shinobi composition, we need to accommodate with a unique command structure as well." Mei nodded and watched as Naruto summoned a messenger to fetch him Ao.

_'He is truly a great leader..'_ She thought as she moved a hand to her stomach, a noticeable bulge had begun to show over her stomach; she smiled. _'And he will become a great father as well.'_

_000_

Done! Now for a little information about Uzugakure and how it will rank up to the other nations as far as like official ratings and stuff. I will also detail what the Hyo and Ranmaru clan's bloodlines are because I'm sure you are all confused or curious about that. I am also working on a simple map that will detail what Uzugakure is shaped like, but I will definitely continue to describe it so the map isn't necessary.

Otherwise, this is the chapter you want to review or PM me about if you have ANY questions about the Uzumaki or Uzugakure.

All the following village information is from the Naruto Databooks, I did not make this up. These are out of five stars.

Konohagakure:

Population: ********* Five Stars

Military Strength: ***** **Three Stars

Economic Strength: ****** Two Stars

Sunagakure:

Population:** **** Two Stars

Military Strength: ****** Two Stars

Economic Strength: ****** Two Stars

Kumogakure:

Population:** ***** Three Stars

Military Strength: ******** Four Stars

Economic Strength: ********* Five Stars

Iwagakure:

Population: ******** Four Stars

Military Strength: ******** Four Stars

Economic Strength:** **** Two Stars

Kirigakure:

Population: ****** Two Stars

Military Strength:** ***** Three Stars

Economic Strength: ****** Two Stars

Uzugakure (By the end of this arc): (This of course is my estimate of its power, I will be fair.)

Population: ****** Two Stars

Military Strength: ****** **Four Stars

Economic Strength:** ***** Three Stars

000

**Hyo Clan**:

**Traits**: Black or dark Brown hair. Blue or Black eye color. No distinguishing traits to indicate bloodline.

The Hyo clan are the infamous clan that Haku hails from, this is NOT the actual clan name because there is no clan name for it. Hyoton is Ice element in Japanese so I just took the Hyo from it because Haku's clan could use Ice. These clansmen can harness the power of water and wind to form ice, a rare elemental nature not found on the mainland and only on two separate islands in the Elemental Nation Continent.

**Ranmaru Clan**:

**Traits**: Grey, Silver, or Violet hair. Hazel or Amber eye color. Iris and Pupil of eye change to red when bloodline active.

The bloodline clan name is totally fictional and the character technically is too because he was part of an anime filler arc. However, I thought since he was once in Kiri that it would make sense to integrate it. The bloodline is basically an enhanced version of byakugan. It can see through walls, allow the use of genjutsu with the will of the user, and even see the life force of human being to see what ails them. There are many other more vague abilities that are not fully described but might be implemented.

000

Remember, ANY questions on the Uzumaki or Uzugakure or the Hyo and Ranmaru clans should be discussed with me in a review, Private Message, or a discussion on my forums. I want to clear up questions now because I will now start to take for granted you know what I am talking about and not go into as much detail.

Next chapter will be the actual time skip and it will be extremely short. It will detail the acceptance of both major and minor nations acknowledging the existence of Uzugakure and also a few developments in the hidden village. The time skip will be announced and the third arc will be next.

Review!

Bye!


	22. Becoming A World Power, Uzugakure!

Uzumaki Clan's Rebirth

Chapter 22

Becoming A World Power, Uzugakure on the Map!

**Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO!**

"speaking"

_'thinking'_

"**Jutsu**"

**"Tailed Beast Speak"**

NaruxMei

**BLOODLINE WARNING**: Naruto uses **Lava** and **Boil** Release in this story. He has three elements in total because of his bloodlimit, Fire, Water, and Earth.

Enjoy!

000

_Uzugakure_

_Village Gate_

Naruto and Mei stood next to one another facing a large gathering of civilians and shinobi. It had been a few days since receiving the message to meet in Kumo and the two were ready to head out. Sad that their Uzukage was leaving them so soon, the people came to the gate to wish Naruto a safe trip.

The two waved at the people before them and watched as Ao came up to the two of them. The man had once again been left in charge while the two powerful shinobi left the village and they had a few parting orders for him.

"Ao, I have a few messages that I wish sent out to a some minor countries that might be willing to engage in trade with us. I also wish to have you go over and finalize my new ideas for our ranking system and do your best to speed up the construction of the academy facilities." Naruto listed off what he could think of in his head to the man who dutifully nodded in acknowledgment.

"Understood, I'll get it done." Mei chose to merely wave goodbye to the people as she waited for Naruto to finish up.

"I'm sorry for leaving you all so soon, but I promise we will only be gone a few days. Ao is a very capable ninja that I have much confidence in for it was he who was able to lead the loyalists through the rebellion! Now please keep us in your thoughts as we forge a better future for Uzugakure!" The people cheered Naruto and Mei as they waved once again and walked through the gate and jumped off into the wilderness.

Ao turned around and watched as the people dispersed, they were still getting used to living in the city. The civilian council had done well in assigning everyone jobs and so far, except for the trade problem, the people were content.

The one eyed man headed back towards the shinobi district of town where a _second_ building was being created. It was one that not even Naruto knew about, it was to be a surprise for when he came back.

Ao went past the construction site and into his nearby apartment. It was where he had been assigned to live and it was a quaint place. He moved over to his desk and unfurled the scroll Naruto had given a few days ago to review. It contained the new ranking system as well as new lesson plans for the shinobi under his command.

_'Let's take a look at these ranks..'_

_Ao, these ranks will range from academy student to myself as the Uzukage. I have left the general ranks of jounin, chunin, and genin alone because of simplicity and effectiveness. The real changes come in the form of specialized divisions of Black Ops, or ANBU._

_As a fellow Hunter ninja, I'm sure you can critique this better than anyone._

_Academy Student_

_Genin_

_Chunin_

_Jounin_

_ANBU Black Ops_

_--ANBU Beast Tamers_

_--ANBU Hunter Corps_

_ANBU General_

_The Uzu Hurricane_

_Uzukage_

_I will discuss more of the new units, including the Uzu Hurricanes later upon my return. For now, please use the rest of the information provided to help you better understand the new ranks. Uniforms for ANBU can also be found below, they are prototypes of course._

Ao scratched his head and thought about the new ranks with bare confusion. He knew Naruto was a genius, hell the people chose him for Shodai Uzukage but to make such bold additions..he must have had quite a plan.

_'What the hell are these 'Uzu Hurricanes'?_

Ao just shrugged, Naruto would explain it to him when he came back. In the meantime, the temporary leader of Uzu was just going to have to deal with a lot of paperwork until then.

000

_Kumogakure_

_Raikage Building_

Naruto and Mei appeared in a yellow and red flash, courtesy of Naruto's Hiraishin. He looked to his left and saw that Mei was still with him, although she looked a bit queasy. Naruto smiled at his success, it was the first time he had brought anyone with him with his father's technique.

"Looks like we made it!" He announced with much fervor, Mei looked at him and gave an uneasy smile; the ride wasn't very enjoyable.

_'It may have only taken a few moments but still...it feels like morning sickness all over again.'_ She thought with a grimace as she clutched her stomach.

"Yes..wonderful. Let's find this meeting room shall we?" Mei suggested before they began to walk towards the supposed meeting room; it was not long before they were stopped by Kumo ANBU.

"Halt! State your business!" Called out one of the elite black ops, his hand was already on his katana from his suspicion.

_'Who are these people? The woman there looks like the Mizukage but where are her robes and who is this man? I've never seen this village before..'_ He thought as he analyzed the new arrivals, they were an unknown group that he had no intention of allowing any farther.

"My name is Naruto Uzumaki and this is my fiancee Mei Uzumaki. She was the Godaime Mizukage and I am the Shodai Uzukage. We are here for the five-alliance meeting to see if we may join it." The ANBU pair looked at one another with pure shock hidden behind their masks, the Uzukage?

"I have never heard of this country! How am I to know you aren't lying?" Asked the leader of the two, he was incredibly suspicious of Naruto.

Mei sighed and stepped forward, she was getting tired of all the distractions. She wanted to get the meeting over with and head home, her pregnancy was getting to the point where it wasn't a good idea to move around so much. This puny little man before her was blocking entrance to her fiance and her Uzukage and she would _not_ allow that.

"Excuse me! As my fiance said before, I am the previous Godaime Mizukage of the Village Hidden in the Mist! You will allow us through now or allow us to speak with your superiors." The ANBU somewhat relaxed their guard but were still confused.

"If what you say is true, Mizukage-sama, why do you call yourself the _previous_ Mizukage and not the current? You are still in power are you not?" Mei sighed out loud and shook her head much to the surprise of the Kumo shinobi.

"That is a very important piece of info we must pass onto your Raikage for this meeting. Now will you allow us through or not?" The ANBU looked at one another and his partner gave a slight shake of the head; the man turned back to the two Uzumaki to relay the verdict.

"I'm sorry but-" He was interrupted when a loud voice boomed down the hallway they were standing in; Naruto and the others turned to see a few Kinkaku squad members coming towards them.

"Naruto! What's up! Its me Tamura!" The one in the lead spoke up, identifying himself as the Kinkaku captain Naruto had fought alongside many times.

Naruto smiled at his arrival and hoped it would mean they could get some safe passage to the meeting hall. The ANBU nodded their heads in respect towards the hunters and waved their hand towards the couple.

"Sorry for the troublemakers here sir, we were just attempting to remove them so-" Tamura scoffed at the man and pushed past him, his fellow hunters moving through to the Uzumaki as well.

Tamura swung an arm around Naruto's shoulder and pointed at the teen, making it seem as if they had known each other forever.

"Are you guys crazy? This guy is the Uzukage, right? And that is his fiancee Mei Uzumaki, the Godaime Mizukage. Why the hell aren't you letting him through to the meeting? Are you trying to insult one of our _allies_?" The ANBU gulped, they had not known that Uzu was such a great ally to Kumo.

"Um..no sir. Please forgive our rudeness." The ANBU scratched their heads embarrassingly and bowed in apology.

Naruto mouthed his thanks to Tamura and walked past the guards with the Kinkaku as their new escorts. The five shinobi walked through the hallways in silence until they arrived at the doors being guarded by more ANBU.

"This is where we part ways, good luck in there Naruto." Tamura patted him on the shoulder before he and his Kinkaku disappeared in a puff of smoke.

Naruto and Mei looked at one another and smiled, they had confidence in one another. They pushed past the two guards and entered the room to find the other four kage waiting impatiently for someone, the Mizukage. All turned to greet the new arrivals but were shocked to see Naruto in a kage outfit and Mei standing next to him in strange clothing.

Naruto stayed silent as he looked at the assembly with a veiled eye, his hat tipped down to hide his face but show his eyes so he could observe. Gaara and Temari were in the Suna seat, both looked quite surprised at his arrival. A and his attendant stood at the forefront of the table, she was calm while he was both shocked and annoyed. Tsunade and Kakashi had to look behind them to see Naruto but both were caught in surprise at his outfit. Onoki and his jounin bodyguard looked at the two with appraising eyes, not revealing any surprise as they did not share a close bond as the other kage had with the boy.

"Hello everyone..its been a few weeks since we last saw each other. I hope you will forgive us barging in so suddenly like this but we have much to discuss." Naruto announced to the group before him and moved over to take a seat near Gaara that was reserved for the Mizukage; Mei stood behind the chair like the rest of the bodyguards. He set his hat down on the table and loosened his robes somewhat to avoid overheating himself.

"Not that I'm unhappy to see you Naruto..but what is the meaning of this?" A asked the boy, he wanted to know why he had on that outfit.

"To explain why I am in this outfit, it would be best to tell you the worst of the news first. The bloodlines have been forced to flee from Kiri due to a coup, they succeeded in overthrowing Mei." Everyone turned their eyes to the woman in question and she nodded her head in acceptance of the true answer.

"Yes, that is correct. After returning from the summit, we found that over half of the shinobi population loyal to me had been killed and the rest were on the run from rebels. We were able to save the Uzumaki and other clans from execution and moved them to our new home, Uzugakure. Naruto is the Shodai Uzukage and is welcomed by our people as such." The information was so much to take in for the four kage and Mifune, even Gaara's eyes widened in amazement.

"..Wow." Temari muttered, surprised by the turn of events.

Onoki huffed and smirked, shaking his head slowly back and forth.

"Darn youngsters, always wanting to show up their elders. Why, if I may ask, is this Naruto boy the Uzukage when they have the Godaime Mizukage as their potential leader?" Mei once again stepped up to the plate and patted her stomach lightly to bring attention to it, her smile radiated across the room.

"I am pregnant with Naruto's child and it would not be right for me to assume the position of the Uzukage by endangering the baby. Besides, after the Kiri debacle I no longer wish to be a kage, Naruto-kun has so much potential as a leader that I thought it best for him to take charge. The people are also behind him as I said before, he may not be at many of your experience levels but he surely is kage material." Everyone's eyes, especially Tsunade's, widened upon hearing that she would be a mother.

Tears began to form in the older woman's eyes as she moved up to wipe them away, a smile had splayed across her face.

_'I'm so happy for them, they had something I could not. Now I get to be a grandmother as well, this is the best news I have heard in quite some time.'_

"Congratulations, Naruto." Gaara complimented him, it was simple but very much appreciated by the blonde.

"Thanks Gaara." He patted his nearby friend on the shoulder and felt a hand touch his own, he looked up to see Mei smiling at him; he smiled back.

"I see..that is quite a sad yet stunning series of events. I take it that your village has had some difficulty in its creation?" A asked the Uzukage but merely received a negative shake of the head.

"No actually the village was in peak condition when we arrived, the problem we have is securing trade contracts with other nations. We have no treaties to allow us to trade and it is hurting our people, they need consumers goods and materials to have need of jobs and other things. Our shinobi corps is relatively disorganized and is in need of an overhaul to which I will be focusing on upon my return. I realize though that what matters the most is that the major nations recognize us as a country, so I would like to ask for your help in speaking with your daimyo. Any help would be much appreciated." Naruto said, hoping to get everything out in the open with the other kage.

It was now their turn to talk amongst themselves with their guards and themselves to see what their opinion on the matter would be. Naruto attempted to guess and gauge their reactions to see if he was correct.

_'My guess is that Tsunade will acknowledge me as will Gaara and A. Onoki though..I'm not so sure. Then again, it all depends on their countries leaders, I have no say on that.'_

The first to speak was Gaara who had his hands linked together in front of his face, his elbows on the table as leaned forward.

"While I'm sure this must be one of the most impulsive and insane things you have ever embarked upon Naruto..I understand what it means to be young and in charge. I will do what I can to help, as Kazekage I acknowledge your village and your place as kage." Naruto smiled and silently thanked his friend; Gaara merely smiled and nodded.

A was up next, Naruto couldn't tell what he would say because of the surprisingly stern face that was set upon his features.

"Naruto..you should have come before me sooner with this. Of course I will help you and your people, if not because I acknowledge you as a village but for the pure sake of a humanitarian effort! My attendant has already ordered thousands of pounds of protein to be sent there immediately, my people will whip your own into shape! I promise you that!" A's face cracked a smile and couldn't help but laugh along with Naruto and Mei as they waited for the last two kage.

Onoki brought his small hand up to his mouth and coughed, bringing quiet for him to speak.

"I have little knowledge of you boy unlike these other kage. In fact, I feel quite outnumbered by that haha! But..a kage must make tough decisions that might affect his village and I'm not sure if at your age you can handle that responsibility. The Kazekage here has shown _some_ ability in that yet all I see in you is impulsiveness and being rude. Until I see some maturity, Iwa will not acknowledge the presence of Uzu!" He stated with finality and the quietness stayed until Konoha was brought in.

Tsunade was frowning, she did not like her decision but could not help but see it as the only answer. Both her and Kakashi had struggled to agree but in the end they came to the same conclusion, Naruto was _not_ ready for such a position. Naruto watched with a hopeful yet knowing visage as she stood up and looked at him with a serious but very disheartened gaze.

"Naruto..for the longest time I have known you, I always saw you as a knucklehead ninja. My impression of you since then has changed somewhat, I see you as an honest and strong young man. However..my ninja beliefs are different than your own, it must have to do with me being too old. Your age might not define you as a shinobi but there are still limits, even your late father was in his twenties when he took up the oath. You on the other hand are barely eighteen and yet you are to be a father _and_ a kage, I don't think you can handle this. As the Hokage, I do not recognize your position as Uzukage or the country of Uzu...I'm sorry." She sat back down and held a hand to her forehead to shade her eyes so as not to look into his, she knew he would be shocked and even disappointed. Mei out of all was the most surprised and angered, whispering a heated yet piercing threat to the woman.

"_Won't be seeing you at the wedding."_

The blonde woman's eyes widened and she looked up at Mei who merely glared right at her. She could not hold her gaze and looked down from the red head, too ashamed to be defiant. Naruto gulped but did nothing about the tension, it was not the right time.

Naruto nodded his head after her speech, he had not been expecting it but he could see her points. He turned to the last one and could already tell by the man's trademark scowl that he was not in favor of it either.

"I must agree with the Hokage and Tsuchikage, you are much too young for a position of kage. I cannot imagine why the people chose you but it does not matter. The Land of Iron does not acknowledge the presence of the Uzukage, however, we do recognize Uzu as an independent civilian state with a shinobi arm. We will send some contractors and supplies to you, it will be limited though." Naruto was surprised at the turn of events with the man's ruling and nodded in thanks to the Samurai general.

"As the vote stands, it is 3-2 in favor of not acknowledging the Uzukage. Therefore, we must bar you from joining the alliance as a shinobi leader and a kage, the individual nations however may still make their own dealings with you." A's attendant announced, she had been against acknowledging Uzu but in the end the Raikage made the decision for himself.

Naruto sighed and nodded, he slowly stood up and placed his hat back over his head from its place on the table. Everyone watched as he tipped his head to the assembly and began to walk out with Mei in tow. He paused at the door and turned around one last time, an air of seriousness surrounded him as he caste a hard gaze back at the table.

"One last thing..the Rokudaime Mizukage is now our arch enemy, Madara Uchiha. You have been warned." Naruto took Mei into his arms and disappeared in a flash of yellow; it left the other kage to scramble amongst each other over the new information.

000

_Uzugakure_

Because of the Hiraishin, the time it took for Naruto and Mei to go to and from Kumo and Uzu was cut drastically. In what they thought would take many days only took a mere few hours. A few people were walking along the cobblestone streets when they saw a brilliant flash of light and their Uzukage appear with his fiancee.

Their eyes shined with surprise and happiness as they flocked to greet the new arrivals. Naruto and Mei were soon swamped with the new arrivals but kept their cool and greeted everyone.

"Uzukage-sama!" Naruto turned his head to see Ao coming towards him with a few other shinobi of his, they landed from a rooftop and quickly bowed.

"Yes, what is it Ao? Have things been alright while I was away?" Ao looked up at him and nodded to his question, the people had been well behaved for the morning he was gone.

"It has been fine sir, I merely wished to greet you and alert you of a few updates. They have to do with both the village itself and our foreign relations." Naruto nodded and gently pushed through the crowd with his shinobi, Mei decided to allow Naruto to handle this himself and made her way home.

Ao led Naruto to a building he didn't remember; it was a silo-shaped office that had the Uzu symbol and went high into the sky showing off its jet black walls. He wanted to inquire about it but just ignored the urge for more pressing matters.

They walked inside and went up a few flights of winding stairs to the top and entered an office. A window view of the city was in the back behind a desk and a nice cushioned chair. He looked left and right to find pictures both he and Mei had taken together before and after their time living in Kiri, a few scrolls also decorated the walls. Naruto enjoyed the nice contrast to the outside coloring to the room's red wall coloring.

"Ao..what is this place?" Naruto turned to look at the man who was smirking like a mad man as were the rest of the Uzu shinobi.

They had made the building while Naruto had been gone, it hadn't been easy but they had some unlikely help. The Lava Monkeys arrived with the help of some of the Uzumaki summoners and quickly helped construct the tower for Naruto.

"Isn't it obvious? This is the Uzukage's office!" Naruto's eyes widened and he took a double take of the room, not believing it was his.

"Are you serious? How did you do all this in just a few short hours?" Ao just shrugged and moved over to his desk, pulling the seat back for him playfully.

"We had some help, please sit down while I discuss important news with you Uzukage-sama." Naruto smiled and nodded, he came up and sat in the cushioned chair and sighed as he finally took a break from standing.

"The rest of you leave us for now, please." Naruto ordered and the shinobi complied, bowing to him before leaving through the door.

Naruto and Ao got right down to business when the one eyed man pulled a scroll from his vest. He set it down on the desk and unfurled it for Naruto to read.

"The messengers you sent before you left have arrived with the requested signatures and assurances. I must say I was surprised at the outpouring of support." Ao noted as Naruto read the scroll that contained each village's leader signature.

_Promise of trade and monetary support:_

_Tazuna, Land of Waves_

_Sumaru, Yondaime Hoshikage, Land of Bears_

_Jirocho Wasabi, Land of Tea_

_Haruna, Land of Vegetables_

_Michiru, Land of the Moon_

_Shibuki, Shodai Takikage, Land of the Waterfalls_

_Promise of military support:_

_Sumaru, Yondaime Hoshikage, Land of Bears_

_Shibuki, Shodai Takikage, Land of the Waterfalls_

_Michiru, Land of the Moon_

Naruto read it over again and again and was still stunned by the amount of signers his treaty request was given. Naruto had no idea any of these villages actually remembered him, let alone realized the gravity of the situation Uzu no Kuni was in.

"This is..wonderful." He whispered, unable to speak any louder lest he break the moment.

"I also finished reviewing those changes to our military you wanted me to look over. Other then those hurricanes, I have no problems with most of it. I'm mainly curious about it all though, so you will have to explain." Naruto nodded, he gestured for Ao to take a seat and they began to discuss the future of Uzu's shinobi system.

000

_Uzumaki Compound_

_Uzu Clan Head Building_

_Bedroom_

Naruto and Mei lay on their bed, caressing each other lovingly. They both had had such a long day that all they wanted to do was hold one another and relax. Naruto stuck his tongue into Mei's mouth and she welcomed it with her own, enticing the wet muscles into a duel of dominance.

She moaned as she dutifully lost and allowed her tongue to be ravaged by him and her naked breasts to be groped by his wandering hands. Her own hands were not idle as they moved to his member and began to stroke his shaft; they both lay naked in bed after a passionate bath with one another.

"I love you, Mei-hime!" Naruto gasped out in a heat of passion as he continued to suckle on her breasts, eliciting a moan from the older woman.

"Ah! I love..you too Naruto!" She moaned again from his ministrations and wished that it could last forever; with that thought she suddenly placed her hands on his shoulders and stopped him.

"Naruto, I want to have our wedding soon!" Naruto looked up into her eyes in surprise, she just thought of that?

"When would you like to have it?" She took no time to think and blurted it out as if she had it memorized.

"Right after the baby is born! It will be perfect! We will have it right on the whirlpool fields surrounding the island and have a beach picnic for the reception!" Naruto smiled at her enthusiasm and kissed her forehead, bringing out a giggle from the woman as he held her close.

"Sounds awesome Mei. Have you thought of a name yet?" Mei took a moment to collect her thoughts before looking back at his eyes.

"Well, I have thought of a name if it is boy or a girl. You remember telling me about the Four Tails, Roshi?" Naruto nodded, his face taking a more sorrowful look. "I thought that in his honor, we could name him Roshi." The blonde perked up at that, it was a wonderful way to always remember the man who sacrificed himself.

"That sounds wonderful, what about if it's a girl?" Mei again took a moment to think before touching his chin with her finger, a playful smirk on her face.

"How about Nariko? It sounds so similar to your name and it means 'thunder', with your stamina I'm sure she would live up to the name." Naruto blushed and smiled at the woman below him, he leaned in for a kiss when a sudden wind blew their balcony door open and forced a nice draft into the room.

Naruto looked over towards it and sighed, he regretfully got up and moved to close the glass door. As soon as he reached it, a piece of paper shaped as an airplane slammed into his forehead and caused him to cringe in surprise and pain. He looked down at the crumpled mass that fluttered with the wind as it stayed low to the ground, he picked it up to examine it.

Right before his eyes, the piece of paper unfolded into a blank sheet before a set of lips formed on it. Naruto held it up to his face to better hear what the feminine voice whispered.

"We were unable to see you today, Naruto Uzumaki, but we will meet with you some time in the future. My leader wishes to have a word with you, he wishes to find a new way to end the cycle of pain. Goodbye, Naruto Uzumaki." And with that, the paper flew out of his hand and went back out into the night sky, leaving a stupefied Naruto on the terrace.

"Naruto, come back inside!" The blonde heeded his lover's call and turned around, taking one last glance to the moon hanging above before returning to his warm bed and his soon to be wife.

Life had taken quite a turn for him in the last few weeks, but he was determined to make the most of it. He would forge a better tomorrow as the Shodai Uzukage, not just for himself or his people, but for their children that were coming into the world with great hope for the future.

Naruto would deliver upon them the greatest gift of all, world peace.

000

Done! So now you may allow your little brains to run in circles trying to decipher the meaning of this chapter and ask me any questions you may have. Some I may answer, some I may not. Time skip of a few months will be the next chapter, expect the wedding to happen next chapter as well!

By then we should have an up and running Uzugakure, then we can get back into the action!

Review!

Bye


	23. The Family is Whole, Uzugakure at War!

Uzumaki Clan's Rebirth

Chapter 23

The Family is Whole, Uzugakure on the Warpath!

**Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO!**

"speaking"

_'thinking'_

"**Jutsu**"

**"Tailed Beast Speak"**

NaruxMei

**BLOODLINE WARNING**: Naruto uses **Lava** and **Boil** Release in this story. He has three elements in total because of his bloodlimit, Fire, Water, and Earth.

It is time for the wedding! I hope everyone is as excited as I am because I think this is going to be sweet and romantic for all my fellow NaruxMei lovers out there. You will also get to see the baby, the little one is so cute I hope you imagine it well. Also, for all of you Naruto lore/fluff lovers, there will be the reveal of all the ranks that I created and also their outfits and purpose.

All in all, I hope you enjoy this wonderful start to our Third and Final arc of Uzumaki Clan's Rebirth, **Uzu no Kuni the 6****th**** Elemental Nation**!

Also, many of you have been asking about the Land of Spring. Well you get to see it revealed what happened here, and no it wasn't because of your reviews that I added it. I had been planning it and it was to be revealed anyway if you guys would be patient.

Wow guys, the votes were astounding. The poll literally exploded through the night and we now have over _400_ votes tallied.

The results were this:

1 Don't write another one and focus on finishing your existing stories (Namikaze's Homecoming, Feet First)

161 » 37%

2 Son's Anger, Mother's Heartbreak NaruKushi Incest lovers rejoice!

91 » 21%

3 Naruto of the Uchiha, NarutoxSasukixMikoto actual love and not harem love!

65 » 15%

4 Shippuden Finale of Sand Maiden

63 » 14%

5 Love between Siblings NarutoxNaruko Incest lovers rejoice!

50 » 11%

So I'm sure you are all wondering just what the heck that means is going to happen, right? Well, if you are then keep reading, otherwise just move onto the story!

Upon the completion of the venerable Uzumaki Clan's Rebirth, which will have _**NO!**_ sequel, I will continue writing Namikaze Homecoming and Feet First. Now here is for the secret part of the poll that I bet most of you didn't know about, the story that got the most votes will then be written as my next story!

Yes, if you know your numbers then that means that all NaruKushi incest fans and otherwise may rejoice! Son's Anger, Mother's Heartbreak will come to a theater near you within the coming year!

Enjoy!

000_ 4.5 Months Later _000

_Uzumaki Compound_

_Inner Estate_

_Uzukage's Bed Chambers_

Naruto Uzumaki stood before a mirror within his bed chambers. He was finishing up the final preparations of his traditional Uzumaki clothing for the big event today. Mei had insisted that he wear civilian clothes for the wedding and she would hear no complaining from him.

He gave himself a critique of the outfit as he turned to observe the whole thing.

_'Well, I suppose its alright. The baggy, red pants are made of a fine silk and reach all the way to my sandals. They have gold embroidery along the pant leg of a plant of vine and they are very comfortable to wear. The shirt itself is similar to Mei's top, its a very loose red shirt with a single sleeve on one side. It also has the golden vine design that starts from the chest up along to my shoulder and coming to a stop at my wrist.'_

Just as he finished, another presence entered the room. He turned to see a hooded figure, the red cloak it wore made it difficult to distinguish any characteristics about the person beneath. He looked to where the face should have been but instead was met by a mask, very similar to Madara Uchiha's. Yet, instead of an orange swirl with a single eye, this person had a crimson red mask that allowed both eyes to see.

"Sir, the security has been organized. Your wedding will begin in approximately ten minutes and the others are waiting outside to escort you and Mei to the beach." Naruto smoothed out his shirt once more before smiling at the hurricane.

"Thank you, kaze. I will be out in a minute." The figure bowed and exited the room as silently and quickly as it had first come.

_'The Uzu Hurricane squad, probably the most interesting addition I made in our forces. I chose only six members, two from each of the dominant clans. One female and male from each clan are inducted into the squad with the chief objective to protect me, the Uzukage. They are the elite, above even the ANBU in power yet unable to match a full-fledged kage alone. Their names have been erased though, so I must call them by their code names. That one I spoke to was from the Uzumaki so I called him 'kaze' for wind, as the maelstrom of a hurricane is from the wind.'_

_'I better not keep Mei waiting, besides she is the one that knows about the traditions more than I do.'_

Naruto had never been to a wedding before back in his days in Kiri and Konoha. Most often those who were ninja and loved each other often chose to remain as lovers or engaged to lessen the blow of losing someone so dear.

Mei insisted that Uzumaki traditional weddings were much different from anything he would have known about and were the epitome of unconditonal love ceremonies. The Uzumaki in the past were not spiritual in any way so the word 'marriage' was often considered the incorrect word to use.

_' 'A bond of love taken to the highest degree', that's what Mei said at least. As long as it means I get to be with her for the rest of my life, I don't care what I have to do.'_

Having wasted enough time, Naruto moved away from the mirror and walked towards the door. On his way out, he past by the small crib that he had built a few weeks ago for the baby. It was made of wood and was colored a deep crimson red. His soon to be wife had dolled it up considerably in her spare time (which was a lot because of her lack of duties) and had placed small Uzumaki swirls and other symbols littering the small bed for the baby.

_'Little Roshi loved it, but our little boy always seems to be smiling. Mei took him downstairs, he will be attending the wedding with us.'_

Yes the little baby had been a boy and Naruto and Mei had never been so proud upon his birth exactly a month ago. The doctors told them that he was completely healthy with no problems, and they confirmed that the child had the Uzumaki bloodline within him furthering their pride.

He opened his door to come face to face with his six 'shadows'. The hurricanes all were wearing the identical cloaks and masks making it difficult for him to tell them apart. Only after getting to know them all was he able to pick out each clan's separate traits that allowed him to distinguish them.

"Ready sir?" asked one of the Ranmaru, they represented the eye of the storm with their all-seeing bloodline.

"Yes, is my family downstairs?" They all nodded and Naruto walked past them to head down the staircase; all six fell into step behind him.

As he stepped onto the first floor, Naruto peered around a corner to look into the family room. Mei was sitting on the couch, happily breastfeeding little Roshi. Her folk outfit remained the same as her jonin uniform, it settled as both. He lightly tapped his fingers on the wall to get her attention away from the baby.

Mei looked up in curiosity to find Naruto looking over at her and the baby with a fatherly smile; one of pride. She smiled and looked down at the baby when she felt him stop sucking, it appeared Roshi had fallen asleep from her lullaby she had been humming. Mei made herself decent and gently lifted herself up, beginning her walk towards Naruto who was leaning on the door frame now.

"Mei, he looks just like you." Naruto whispered lovingly as she approached, bringing out a bright smile from the woman.

It was true that at a distance, Roshi could pass off as a clone of his mother. With his russet-red hair and smooth features, the baby really was a male image of her.

"Now now, you can't rule yourself out of him entirely." She whispered back, playfully using a finger to point at his closed eyes; Naruto smirked.

The baby had inherited Naruto's striking blue eyes as well as show some early personality traits just like his own. Mei had noted that while feeding him, he just didn't stop until he fell asleep or his stomach began to ache. It seemed as though the boy would have Naruto's stubborn determination, something Mei wasn't too excited about for when he grew older.

"I'm so happy that you were able to bring our baby into the world. It just seems like magic happened that night.." He hesitantly moved his hand to the babies face, gently tickling his cheeks as he slept.

"I'm happy too, that doesn't mean I felt so good afterward though. How are those bruises healing up, koi?" Naruto instinctively reached for his left arm, Mei had done quite a beating just gripping his arm.

"It's getting better, no thanks to you though." Mei just smiled innocently as she remembered that as soon as she was allowed to leave the hospital, she jumped Naruto in their home.

"Sorry, I just can't resist." Naruto sighed and looked over his shoulder to see the guards waiting for them patiently.

He turned around and kissed Mei, pulling away before she could further it.

"Are you ready, love?" Mei smiled and nodded, she moved Roshi to where she held him comfortably in her arms for walking.

Naruto nodded to the hurricanes near the door and they opened the portal to outside. A loud cheering erupted from the exit as Naruto exited with an arm around Mei's waist. The entire Uzumaki clan watched as they exited the inner compound and exited into the main clan grounds. The couple walked along a narrow path that allowed the hurricanes to walk on either side of them, keenly watching for threats.

Naruto leaned in close to Mei's ear and whispered to her.

"Once we get to the beach, I'm going to leave for a few minutes to go pick up a guest I want to be here." She looked back at him suspiciously and he held his free hand up in defense.

"It isn't Tsunade, I know how you are still somewhat angry about the whole thing." Mei breathed a small sigh of relief, she wasn't so much angry anymore but disappointed in the woman's lack of faith.

"Who is it then?" She asked, just barely over the crowds cheering.

"It's Kakashi, it would mean a lot to me if he was here." Mei thought about the man in question and shrugged after a moment, she didn't mind.

"That's fine, as long as he behaves." Naruto nodded and the two continued their walk through the streets in silence as they waved and acknowledged the entire population of Uzu. It seemed as though everyone was out to say 'congratulations' to the couple and everyone within the village had been given an invite.

As the couple would walk by, the people would fall into step behind. Shinobi and civilians mixed in the crowd as everyone followed the couple into the jungle foliage. The only ones who remained separate from the procession were the village's elite, the ANBU.

Over two dozen in number, the group fulfilled similar places in Uzu as any other major village's. The differences were mainly cosmetic, their armor instead of gray/white was a red color akin to the jonin vests of Uzu. They retained the animal masks used by similar organizations except for a few special squads with unique masks.

The ANBU corps had been watching over the city from the rooftops as they had walked by. Their orders were to keep eyes out for any threats to the Uzukage and nothing else. They gathered at the village gate upon the population's exit and seemed to wait for someone's arrival.

"Sir!" Every ANBU present turned to salute the one shinobi that had just arrived. His armor was hidden behind a red cloak similar to the hurricanes and his face was covered by a white swirl mask.

"Alright, the villagers have left with the Uzukage. Our job is to keep an eye on him so let's not fall behind, move out!"

"Yes sir!" The shinobi in front of him disappeared and the general looked around for a moment before walking through the open gate to meet up with the Uzukage.

"No way am I going to miss this wedding." Ao thought with a smirk as he jumped through the trees to the beach.

000

_Uzu Island_

_Beach_

Naruto and Mei stood in front of the large congregation of people to announce the beginning of the wedding. The blonde peered past them to see dozens of Lava monkeys hiding within the trees, also curious about the ceremony. He had invited them as well and it seemed that they would come to watch as well.

"People of Uzu!" Naruto quickly got their attention and the chatter died down. "Today is a most glorious day for us! My fiancee Mei Uzumaki and myself will be embarking onto the greatest path anyone could choose for themselves, eternal bondage. Our love together is too strong for us to remain as we are, you can see the fruits of it from our child right in the crowd." Naruto pointed out Roshi who was in the arms of one of the female hurricanes, albeit her occupation she held him reverently and lovingly as if she was his mother.

The people clapped and applauded as they did on the night he was born. Naruto and Mei held each other close as they heard the applause given to their son and themselves. The happiness was overwhelming as the couple stood before their people.

"Naruto, now would be a good time to go get Kakashi." Mei whispered in his ear and he nodded.

_'**Shadow Clone!**'_

Naruto quickly replaced himself with a shadow clone before he teleported away to Konoha to find his old teacher and friend Kakashi Hatake.

000

_Konoha_

_Training Fields_

Naruto appeared at the place of where Kakashi was supposedly. He had placed a seal on him long ago just in case of a contingency, he was glad he remembered it for this occasion.

He took in his surroundings, he was standing in a green field apparently within Konoha. There was three wooden stakes in the ground and that immediately told him that this was training ground 7.

"Naruto?" The Uzukage turned to find Kakashi sitting under a tree.

He was reading his Icha Icha book when he saw Naruto appear in a yellow flash. His one revealed eye was widened in surprise, he had not been expecting the boy in Konoha for any reason.

"Hey Kakashi." Naruto walked over to the man and picked him up by the vest, surprising the man as he was lifted off the ground. "You wanna be my best man?"

The question threw Kakashi for a loop, what was he talking about?

"Wait, you are getting married? When?" Naruto smirked.

"Right now." Without another word, the two disappeared in a silver/yellow flash.

000

_Uzu Island_

_Beach_

The wait for the people had only been a minute or so when Naruto and Kakashi appeared in a flash. Naruto was smiling upon his return while Kakashi looked half dead and ready to puke. He dropped to his knees and held his stomach with his hand. Mei could sympathize with him as she had been in the same position not too long ago.

"Next time..give me more warning." Kakashi ground out, trying to take deep breathes to keep from vomiting; Naruto scratched the back of his head in embarrassment.

"Hehe..sorry about that. But now that we are back, Mei and I can begin." Naruto walked over to Mei and took her hand with his own as Kakashi joined the crowd in watching. Mei began to speak and explain the ritual to those gathered.

"Many of the Uzumaki gathered here today will have only heard of this bonding ritual from their parents or grandparents so I will explain. Naruto and I will walk across the whirlpool fields barefoot and only we may cross, you all must remain here. Once we reach the center of the largest whirlpool, we will stand on the edge of it and say our vows to one another. Upon their completion, we will begin to walk over the abyss of the whirlpool, if our union is made of true feelings, the whirlpool will calm beneath our feet and allow us to walk across unharmed. If it isn't.." Mei looked to Naruto and back to Roshi, tightening her grip of his hand. "The whirlpool will intensify and swallow us, bringing our lives to their end." The people gasped, Uzumaki and other alike.

"What?"

"You can't do that, it's too risky!"

"We can't lose our Uzukage just like that!"

"There must be something else!"

"Let them do it!"

The crowd centered on Kakashi who had grown annoyed by the crowd's concern. While it was necessary to worry about your kage if he or she was in danger, you must be able to put faith in them as well.

"Why should we listen to you? You were the one that denied our village along with your Hokage!"

"Yeah!"

"Why are you even here?"

"I'm here because Naruto wants me to be. While I am still not sure if he can handle the duties of a kage, I know damn well that he is a good honest man about his feelings. I don't believe that there is any chance of them dying, it's because I have confidence in them!" Naruto and Mei smiled at Kakashi and looked to see the crowd slowly come around.

"We shall start the ritual now!" Naruto and Mei walked over to their baby and kissed him one last time before taking off their shoes and walking across the water.

Never did they allow their hands to separate as they went out into the sea. The people watched as the figures became small blurs in the distance and could only wait and watch.

Kakashi watched for a time before going over to the hurricanes who were probably the most worried of all; their duty was to protect the Uzukage yet they were not allowed to accompany him and it hurt them inside. He walked up to the woman who held the baby and began to smile as he looked at how the baby looked like a perfect combination of the parents.

"May I hold him?" Kakashi asked politely, fully expecting a rebuke from the masked red head.

She looked at the baby and then back at Kakashi before slowly reaching her arms out to hand the baby over. Kakashi's eyes widened as he slowly took the baby into his own arms and held him.

"Please be careful with Roshi, he truly is the pride and joy of those two." Kakashi glanced at her and nodded, unable to keep his eyes off the baby he had unknowingly begun to rock.

"I can't believe my student had a kid before I did. He even became the leader of a village, wow.." Kakashi just couldn't believe how far Naruto had come.

It was at this point he realized that he should have followed his own beliefs back at the meeting. He shouldn't have just abandoned Naruto like that, he should have believed in him.

_'Naruto..you have long surpassed me in all ways. The torch has already been passed without me even knowing it.'_ He looked out to see where the two small blurs remained stationary near the whirlpool; he looked back down at the baby. _'Now you just have to come back and give this little one here the family and love it deserves and lead these people the way we all know you can. Come on Naruto!'_

000

_Uzu Island_

_Eastern Whirlpool Fields_

Naruto and Mei stood facing one another, hand in hand next to the abyss of a whirlpool. The diameter was over a mile in length, making it one of the largest to ever exist. They did not notice though, they only had eyes for each other during such a loving ceremony.

"What next, Mei?" Naruto asked tenderly, massaging her hands with his fingers; she smiled at his actions.

"Next is the blood infusion to the whirlpool. We both cut our finger and let the blood drop into the whirlpool, therefore allowing it to recognize us. We then bring the fingers to our lover's mouth and let them suck the remaining blood clean. This represents our willingness to give each other everything because blood is literally our life force and one of the most important things to any warrior." Naruto nodded in understanding before releasing one of her hands to bite this thumb; Mei took her free hand back to do the same.

They bit their thumbs and moved them so that the fingers were just over the edge of the abyss. Naruto and Mei watched as the blood slowly dripped and fell into the swirling vortex, intermingling with one another in a red pool before losing themselves to the blue water. The thumbs were brought back and then gently placed on the lips of their partners.

Naruto took Mei's slender thumb into his mouth and licked the copper-tasting fluid away from the cut before swallowing. Mei did the same to his and repeated the process until the cuts no longer bled leaving them to rejoin hands and wait for the next part.

"Now we say our vows to one another. Again, vows might not be the best word to describe it but the action functions as the same. We tell each other why we are together and what our lives will continue to be while we are married." Naruto could only watch in wonder as Mei took his hands close to her heart and began to speak softly.

"Naruto, I love you with all my heart. When I first met you over three years ago, I thought you were just another silly boy chasing a foolhardy dream. As I see now, my first impressions were very wrong of just what you were capable of. From the start my feelings for you grew as did my passion to see you succeed in your dream of bringing Uzu back from nothing. Our child together was the single most outstanding gift you have ever given me and I can't wait for you to gift me again." Mei playfully waggled her eyebrows and Naruto blushed in response.

"May I never be separated from you in any way, shape, or form. I only wish to be with you and only you for the rest of my days as Mei Uzumaki. Our times that we live in now are sorrowful and fraught with danger but within my heart I hold out hope that is as strong as my love for you and Roshi. That hope is that one day you will lead us onward to a better day, you will bring peace to this world. I have hope for this because I know you, and I know your love for this world's people is strong. Naruto Uzumaki, I am yours." By this time, both their eyes had garnered tears and now they were free to spill as the lovers stood there with one another.

Naruto fought back his tears as he gently guided their hands close to his chest. He leaned down and gently kissed her fingers as they interlocked with his own before he began.

"Mei, the love I have for you surpasses anything I could ever say or do. From the time we have met up until now, your beauty and personality has captivated me to the point of insanity. Sometimes I tell myself this is a dream, that one day I will wake up and everything will go back to the way it was. The hate and misgivings from those in Konoha gave me a frightening reality that made me hold onto what I had in this world more than anything. With your love though, I was able to see past that and realize that what I have been living in is a world made by our own accord, not someone else. Mei..I will always be with you, through life or death I will never stray from my place by your side." With his speech finished, Naruto moved in to kiss his lovestruck beauty on the lips.

He knew that this was not the end to their trial, but he only wished the warmth that emanated from his heart to last forever. Everything he had said was true, he only wished to be with Mei and nothing else would matter. Naruto would live for her, kill for her, _die _for her if it only meant he would see her again one last time; from what she had told him there was no doubt in his mind she felt the same way.

Their kiss ended, Mei knew there was only one thing left to do. Both slowly turned to face the whirlpool, its raging waters forever in a spinning cycle of destruction. There was no indication it would slow down or stop for them, but they had confidence that they would get through it together.

"Ready Mei?" Naruto asked, slightly tightening his grip on her hand as they prepared to take the plunge.

She looked at him with a smile, one that was totally care-free with no prior engagement. "Yes, yes I am Naruto."

The two lifted one foot up and simultaneously brought it down over the water edge. When it looked as though both would fall and be dragged under, the vortex slowed down to accommodate their feet. They tightened their grips as they took another step and another, slowly and carefully across the whirlpool until they reached the calmed center that now resembled calm seas.

With this, they knew that their love was meant to be forever and always. One last time, the now husband and wife took each other into their arms and kissed.

They were now one with each other and the whirlpool.

000

_Uzu Island_

_Beach_

The people waited with heated anxiety, they wanted to know if the Uzukage had lived or not. The people had lost track of the small blurs that had constituted as Mei and Naruto and were now unsure whether they were alive or not.

Ao and the ANBU had finally revealed themselves instead of hiding amongst the trees. They stood near the Uzu hurricanes and Kakashi at the front of the welcoming committee.

"They could have at least told us how long this would take.." Ao mumbled underneath his mask, unhappy with the wait.

One of the ANBU with a suspiciously familiar sword turned toward the general and laughed a bit. His mask was that of a flounder, the fish that his sword was based off of.

"Now now Ao-senpai..isn't it best we allow them to have their time together? This is a romantic kind of thing..I think." Ao sighed and looked over at Chojuro who was surely blushing at the mention of 'romance'.

"Yes but still, it isn't everyday the Uzukage gets married and allows no witnesses. I just wish we knew how long they would be without us." One of the hurricanes spoke up, the Uzumaki male.

"These rituals are very important to the Uzumaki, even the younger generations. They find them interesting and romantic even if some of the past ideals they were made for are forgotten. The older generation still appreciates that they are practiced. The Uzukage and his fiancee knew what they were getting into." Ao just huffed and turned his attention back to the sea.

Kakashi thought he saw something and lifted his headband up to reveal his sharingan. A few nearby ninja were surprised to see the rare eye dojutsu but said nothing. Ao activated his Byakugan and searched as well for the returning couple.

"There they are.." He said out loud, he found them returning to the shore within a mile's distance.

"Yep, guess that means they didn't get swallowed up." Kakashi commented as he placed his headband back over his eye.

"And that means that our Uzukage is married now to his partner. This is wonderful news!" Said the female Uzumaki hurricane, her happiness was evident in the lightness of her voice.

It wasn't long before the Uzumaki couple came into view for the remaining people gathered, eliciting a large cheer from them. The Uzukage and his wife had survived!

Naruto and Mei came onto shore the first thing they did was take their child into their arms and smother him with love. Naruto kissed his forehead and lightly rubbed his head where hair had begun to grow. Mei held him in her arms and rocked him, gently humming an Uzumaki folk lullaby.

Everyone could obviously see the love emanating from the new family and dared not say a word. Soon after their arrival, the Uzumaki couple announced to everyone that the party could begin. Dancing and food was the main attraction and everyone had plenty of fun.

As the afternoon went into the night, bonfires were lit as the people prepared to stay up until dawn. During this time, Naruto returned Kakashi back to Konoha and thanked him for coming. Kakashi was happy to oblige and told him to 'feel free and teleport me back some time.'

Naruto planned on making good on that promise.

000

_Uzugakure_

_Uzukage Office_

_Next day_

Naruto sat in his comfortable chair reviewing some documents sent to him by the civilian government. They were planning on taking a small percentage of workers and use them to build and maintain a trading dock to make things easier as far as moving and receiving goods from other countries.

His kage robes made it a bit difficult to move comfortably without messing them up but Naruto was able to reach over his desk and grab his 'approve' stamp. He neatly placed the labeled documents in the correct bins and saw that he had nothing else to read.

Naruto took his hat off and smoothed his hair back. He picked up the picture that stood on his desk. It was taken recently, he along with Mei held the baby and posed for the picture on their balcony. It gave a great background of the green rain forest and it made his heart flutter any time he would look at it.

He felt a presence approach and placed the picture back in its place. A messenger quickly entered and bowed to the Uzukage. He was a shinobi, a chunin if Naruto had to guess. He held two scrolls that were quickly placed on Naruto's desk for him to peruse.

"What are these?" Naruto asked as he picked up one and began to untie it.

"They are two priority messages sent in from ninja observers. The one you are about to read is a message sent from one of our ninja within the Land of Spring as well as a letter personally from Daimyo Kazahana. The second is a scroll from our observers within the Land of Waves, it is a monthly status report." Naruto nodded and opened the scroll he had first chosen to read from his Spring observers.

_Sir, since the last time we have reported in, things have gotten worse here in Spring. Daimyo Kazahana at first denied our request for trade because of political instability. It seems that her double duty of both being an actress and a leader was too much for her people to handle and they have chosen rebellion. _

_A small terrorist group of fanatics are based here within Spring. They believe in what Dotou Kazahana once said and believe that the land must return to a snowy wasteland for their ninja to thrive. It has grown in popularity and is now on the verge of violence against Daimyo Kazahana's forces. She has sent me this letter to give to you._

_'Dear Uzukage-sama,_

_Naruto, I apologize for not writing sooner but my country is once again facing a disaster. When you first requested an alliance, I won't lie and say I didn't think it was a joke. But now with your Uzu ninja inside my country, they have told me much about your situation back in Uzu no Kuni. With your power, I beseech you to help me again as you did five years ago._

_I know I am very undeserving of it, after already being given a second chance by you. If not for me, please bring order to my country for my people. They have seen so much bloodshed, I don't want to be the cause of more. These rebels, they are threatening to destroy the heat generator, the one thing that brought peace and prosperity back to the land and they wish to return us to a frozen ball of ice!_

_Please Uzukage, come to our rescue. I promise to give you whatever you want in return, just please save my people as you did once before. We will await your response with bated breathe, please hurry._

_Sincerely,_

_Koyuki Kazahana_

_Daimyo of Land of Spring'_

Naruto was taken back by what sounded like begging from the strong young woman Naruto had remembered so well from five years ago. With the promise of reward great for Uzu if he pledged support, Naruto easily decided that he would come to help Koyuki.

He moved onto the second and unfurled it to find a short but groundbreaking message.

_Status Report_

_Uzu Outpost_

_Wave Country_

_As ordered by Uzukage-sama, we have set up a small base of operations in Wave country. This message is high priority for the fact of what we have found within the small countries borders. The Three Tailed Turtle is within one of this countries many lakes, wild and without a jinchuuriki. We are requesting advice on how to proceed with this information with the threat of Akatsuki's goal apparent._

Naruto reread the line a few times to make sure he did not see wrong, _Three Tailed Turtle_. Because they had found it before Akatsuki, that meant they could do something to halt their advance. He looked up to see that the chunin was still there, waiting for orders.

"I need you to go to ANBU headquarters, ask the general to send the Beast Tamers here immediately!" The man stood up and quickly nodded before disappearing in a blur; Naruto sighed and placed his hat back on.

Naruto stood up and walked over to his window behind his desk to look outside. He could never get tired of the view for it was second only to his house's balcony in terms of scope and grandeur. His kage hat hid most of his face as he tipped it down further to keep the glaring sun from his eyes. From behind him, all six of the hurricanes 'appeared', releasing their hiding genjutsu to stand to the front of the Uzukage's desk.

"Sir?" One of the ame, asked. The rain of the hurricane, the Hyo clan ice users were known for their deadly and unparalleled use of the ice element.

"Prepare to leave immediately, we will head to Spring and support Daimyo Kazahana. Meanwhile, the Beast Tamers will move to secure the Three Tails in the nearby country of Wave." His shadows were shocked, he would actually lead them?

"Sir, wouldn't it be better to send a squad of ANBU or a battalion of regular shinobi to support the country of Spring? Why should you have to go personally?" Naruto turned from the window and looked at his six bodyguards, a smile forming on his face.

"A kage must not be afraid to get his hands dirty. Besides, our country is young and our military while organized is still sub par compared to Konoha or Kumo. We are barely a match for a weak power like Suna or Kiri, every shinobi must do his part. Anyway, Koyuki specifically requested me, and I won't turn down the offer to see her again. If I go we have a much better chance of working out a diplomatic deal that greatly benefits Uzugakure. Understand?" His shinobi nodded, although they were still reluctant.

They felt eight new presences and turned to find eight ANBU kneeling to the Uzukage. While they wore ANBU armor, as Beast Tamers they had a unique style.

Their armor was littered with scrolls interlocked through chains, crisscrossing everywhere. Their masks, instead of an animal, were completely blank with not even any eye slits to allow the users to see. The leader of the group held a single large scroll on his back the size of a small child, obviously to be used to seal something large (The scroll size is about the same as the scroll Naruto had on during his fight with Pain).

"Sir, you called for us?" Said the leader, it was a man with a brown mane of hair kept in check.

Naruto went closer to his desk and threw the scroll with the information from wave at the man who caught it deftly as if he could see just fine. He unfurled it and read it with quick and practiced eyes, looking back up at Naruto.

"You wish us to capture the Three Tails before Akatsuki can take it?" Asked the man, Naruto smiled at his perception.

"Right as always Akeru. You will be the only ones sent there though as you know our manpower is still relatively low, can you handle yourselves?" The man stood up from his kneeling position and his men followed suit.

"Of course sir, we will get the job done." Naruto smirked, this was the reason why he had created the Beast Tamers.

_'With the information on jinchuuriki and Tailed Beast sealing I found within the scroll, I decided to make a special sect of men in ANBU to handle just this kind of operation. They are experts with fuinjutsu and are just as good of fighters as any other ANBU out there. With Akatsuki's threat of using tailed beasts against us, this squad will be a primary source of advantage for Uzu in the coming war.'_

"Good, then you are dismissed." Naruto watched as they too disappeared leaving him with his hurricanes.

"Make the preparations, I must go home and spend some time with my wife and little Roshi." Naruto left in a bright flash that signaled to his hurricanes that they were dismissed.

000

_Uzugakure_

_Uzumaki Compound_

_Inner Estate_

_A Few Hours Later_

Naruto had come home and explained the turn of events to Mei who was very understanding. It didn't mean she had to like the fact that her newly made husband was leaving her and their child so soon but he always came back. She would just hold out with worry for a few days before he would come home safe and sound.

He spent time with both her and the baby until it was late in the evening, almost time for him to leave. He had chosen to travel conspicuously but with a certain power to his outfit. Contrary to hiding like a rat as some ninja or kage would do in the event of traveling to a different country, Naruto chose to wear ninja clothing instead.

To lessen the chance of danger, Naruto had chosen to wear identical clothing to his hurricanes. The standard ANBU gear; red chest, arm, and leg armor with black gloves, pants, and sandals. He also took a spare swirl mask to place on when they arrived in Spring, he personally didn't like to wear the mask but the hurricanes never complained.

_'The Hurricanes..they are waiting outside. Better hurry.'_

Naruto stuffed the mask into his red cloak's inner pocket before clasping it at the neck. He had already placed on his outfit while Mei settled the baby in for bed and prepared for sleep herself. Leaving the closet, Naruto saw a cute sight; his wife was leaning over the crib walls and gently singing a lullaby to little Roshi.

His eyes were half-lidded as he looked up at his mother with a little smile, she herself looked very delighted as the baby slowly fell asleep. He walked out and wrapped his arms around her waist as she stood up from her accomplished mission of making the baby fall asleep.

He kissed her cheek and then her lips before parting only for a moment. The blonde kage bent his knees and reached into the crib to lay a small kiss on the babies forehead and ruffle his nonexistent hair very lightly.

"Hey, I just got him to sleep. Don't wake him up." Mei playfully slapped his arm and made him get up and turn to face her.

He looked into her eyes with love as she returned it. The newly weds had had plenty of 'fun' the night before and had planned on continuing it only for him to receive the unfortunate news from Spring and Wave.

"You will come back, right koi?" Mei asked, already knowing his answer but feeling as though she still needed convincing.

Naruto looped his arms around her and held her body close, bringing out a sigh from her. It was a happy sigh, but the sound cracked near the end showing her tearful concern.

"Of course I will, we are married now remember? I'm stuck with you for the rest of my life." The way he said it made Mei just want to slap him silly but she resisted, simply laying a hand on his cheek instead.

"I believe you, I believe _in_ you. Just remember you have a family now, that is another reason for you to come back home alive. Don't..don't stop thinking about us." Her voice cracked again into a little sob and Naruto tightened his grip on her, whispering into her ear encouraging words.

"You forget Mei, that my family is the only reason I come back. Not just you and Roshi, but _everyone_ in this village needs me as if we are all one big family. With that kind of responsibility, I won't ever stop coming back to you, I promise." Naruto picked her up as if he would a bride and laid her down in the bed and placed the covers over her.

"I love you, koi." He whispered before kissing her forehead as he did the babies.

"And I you, koi." She placed a hand over his that remained on the bedside until a light tapping signaled it was time to go.

He gave her one last taste of his mouth before getting up and walking to the door. All the lights within the room were off and upon opening the door the hallway light made his figure look like an eerie shadow hanging in the doorway. He looked over his shoulder one last time.

"Sweet dreams, you two." He closed the door softly behind him before turning to his six hurricanes who waited obediently for his orders.

Naruto took out his red swirl mask and placed it over his face, hiding his identity from all those who would look at them.

"Let's move out."

000

Wow! Lots of fluffy romance between my favorite pairing in the entire story, Naruto and Mei. I hope you all like the child since I have had his idea/look in my head for quite some time now. We can finally call them husband and wife too so yay!

I have to say the funniest part to me was how I imagined Naruto just dragging Kakashi to the wedding without warning, it was hilarious since he practically abducted him!

This chapter gave a lot of info on what all the new Uzu shinobi positions do so I hope you liked it since I had a lot of fun creating them in my head. I'm sorry if you don't like the idea of the Uzu hurricane mask but I love Tobi's mask design since it is of course similar to the Uzumaki swirl except slightly elongated to fit the contours of a face. With two eye holes instead of one and a red color or white if you are talking about Ao, I think I changed it enough so that you can no longer call it a Tobi mask.

I also have eluded to the beast tamers purpose but not as to _how_ they do their job. You will just have to read the coming chapters and see.

As a side fact, I wrote this entire chapter in one afternoon! Ha!

Review and ask questions!

Bye!


	24. Arrival in Spring, Where is the Green?

Uzumaki Clan's Rebirth

Chapter 24

Arrival in Spring, Where is the Green?

**Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO!**

"speaking"

_'thinking'_

"**Jutsu**"

**"Tailed Beast Speak"**

"_Radio Speak"_

NaruxMei

**BLOODLINE WARNING**: Naruto uses **Lava** and **Boil** Release in this story. He has three elements in total because of his bloodlimit, Fire, Water, and Earth.

**Arc: Uzu no Kuni, 6th Elemental Nation!**

000

_Land of Spring_

_Open Sea_

Naruto stood aboard the deck of a small transport barge headed for Spring. He and his men had boarded it in the middle of the ocean and had calmly alerted the captain of their mission. The old man had no qualms with them especially after they revealed they were ninja so they had taken up a quiet residence in one of the boat's empty rooms.

Naruto had gone up to the top deck though to observe their arrival first hand, it had been quite some time since his last arrival there. At the time, he had no idea what to expect from the frozen country but now it was supposedly a spring paradise for tourists.

_'With Koyuki's panicked letter though, it might not be Spring for long.'_ He thought with regret, regret of not being able to do anything sooner.

He was still masked to prevent anyone of knowing his identity, he did not want to take chances. It was rare for a kage to leave his village, especially during war times. If someone, possibly a spy or agent for Akatsuki, found out he was heading for Spring it would spell trouble for them in the future.

A strong gust blew against the ship and Naruto tightened the cloak to his body further. The ANBU clothing he wore was prepared for the warm summer Spring was apparently in, not for a cold winter. They were approaching the shore and Naruto could still see no sign of the green land he had left, merely gray or white landscape instead.

The kage turned around to see his hurricanes had gotten out as well. They gathered around behind him and observed the fast approaching land for themselves.

"I thought it was supposed to be spring time here, Uzukage-sama?" One of them asked.

"Yes, that is _exactly_ what time of the year it's supposed to be. Something obviously isn't right here." They shifted uncomfortably, if Naruto believed something wrong then it must have been something bad.

"We are approaching shore!" Yelled out the captain from the raised bridge behind them.

"Me, check the dock for anything suspicious." Naruto ordered to the two Ranmaru who spurred into action.

"Yes, Uzukage-sama." They answered swiftly as they activated their bloodline; without masks, a person could see their eyes glow red.

"A small battalion of snow ninja are located within the small port city, they appear to be waiting for this ship to dock. I estimate over twenty in number sir." The male reported and was confirmed by the female's nod; Naruto sighed in exasperation.

"It seems as though the rebellion has already taken place. We first must find our ninja located within the country and devise a way to get to Daimyo Kazahana before the ice shinobi can. Ame, your clan are the original owners of ice release, yours should be superior to these imitators. I will be relying on you during the coming battles." The two Hyo clansmen stood a bit straighter and nodded in confidence with their leader's positive appraisal.

"We won't fail you, Naruto-sama." Naruto nodded and suddenly leaped off the ship and onto the ice cold water that churned with a stormy disposition.

The hurricanes soon followed and the seven were on their way to land with an alternate route. Naruto wished to avoid fighting as much as possible to avoid drawing attention and also to make sure he did not hurt the wrong people. If a fight broke out in the city, it was sure to lead to civilian casualties that would not be good for Uzu's reputation.

The group arrived on land and they quickly sorted out what to do next. The Uzumaki hurricanes pulled out their map and pointed at the last known location of their shinobi; it was within the capital city with the Daimyo castle.

"If the rebellion is taking place right now, that will surely be the loyalist's stronghold. Hopefully it remains intact, otherwise we will have to fight our way in. Let's move." They disappeared into red blurs as they moved quickly through the barren white landscape.

All kept silent on their journey, too busy worrying about the mission to talk. The signs of war were unsettling as they approached the capital city. Blood, dropped weapons, even a few bodies laid strewn across the snow and were slowly getting covered up by the ever falling precipitation. Naruto could recognize some as snow ninja and others as civilian warriors but none were alive to tell them the tale of the battle.

"Sir, look there!" Naruto turned to his right to see a column of smoke rise into the air coming from the direction of the capital.

The seven moved quickly into position on a ridge that gave them a bird's eye view of the small palace. The column of smoke was actually a large fire that had engulfed the Daimyo palace. Ironic, Naruto thought as the ice ninja actively used ice instead of fire.

Another explosion rocked the city, this one instead being made of a large spike of ice crushing a small building. The Ranmaru described the chaos with an unparalleled view with their special eyes.

"Dozens of snow shinobi are ransacking the capital. They are indiscriminately killing civilians and destroying whatever stands in their way. It looks as though the palace has been overrun, all the fighting is within the palace itself as all the defenders outside are dead. The snow shinobi are coming in trickles but the main force is moving quickly to the besieged area, if we do not move quickly the Daimyo will surely be killed or captured." Naruto pondered it for a moment, giving his hurricanes the chance to talk.

"Sir, we don't even know if this woman is still alive. We could be wasting our time trying to rescue her when she could already be dead, or even worse this is a trap organized by the snow shinobi. They had troops waiting at the docks, maybe they knew we were coming." One of the Uzumaki suggested, his red mane of hair kept short and his hidden gray eyes burned with cynicism of the situation.

"They have no reason to kill the Daimyo just yet!" Argued the female Uzumaki, she glared at her teammate for his horrid idea. "They could use her as a bargaining chip or a puppet to rule the people, they can't afford to kill her." One of the Hyo scoffed and they turned towards him.

"Yes, because the snow shinobi obviously care about the civilians enough to rule them. You see those dead bodies, those destroyed buildings. All of those were civilian structures, they only want power and nothing else." Naruto began to scowl as the arguing grew in both volume and hostility, the clans got along well enough but individuals were too difficult to read.

"That's enough!" Naruto allowed his booming voice to echo over the six before him, leading them to instantly quiet down. He looked at each of their masked faces with feigned disgust and disappointment as he had expected better.

"Arguing will get us nowhere! Allow your Uzukage to make the decision to go or not to go rather than bicker like elderly men would do. Now we are going down there and we will rescue the Daimyo, prepare for combat!" Naruto brushed past them as they bowed their heads in shame to his figure.

"Go!" The seven disappeared in a flash and blurs could be seen leaping over rooftops moving quickly to the palace where a desperate last stand took place.

000

_Land of Spring_

_Kazahana Manor_

_Throne Room_

"HOLD THEM BACK!" Sugihara of the Uzumaki yelled out, her bloodstained ANBU armor held strong as a snow ninja attempted to thrust his kunai into her chest.

Her scimitar already stained with blood, she cut off the hand holding the kunai and followed up with a slice to the man's throat. He gurgled up blood before falling onto the ground, dead. She stepped back and took a look around to see what was left of the defenders.

Upon the start of the attack, the palace had over one hundred samurai and over ten loyalist snow shinobi. Add Sugihara's squad to the mix and the defenders numbered at roughly one hundred and fifteen against the enemies two hundred. She could only surmise that the focus of the attack was there in the capital while small towns were being subjugated with smaller groups.

What was left was around a dozen bloodied and wounded samurai and only a few loyal snow ninja left. The rest of the ANBU's squad had been cut off outside and she knew not what happened to them but feared the worst.

_'These snow shinobi aren't particularly difficult to defeat when they have no snow..'_ Sugihara thought as she pierced through the chest of another with her blade, pulling it out with a huff of breath. _'But they have overwhelming numbers and a surprisingly strong determination to win.'_ She risked a glance to the top of the throne to see Daimyo Kazahana surrounded by three of the strongest samurai under her command; she allowed herself a small smile underneath her mask that resembled a wildcat with purple cheek markings.

Another group of snow shinobi burst through a separate entrance from the one that had so far been used, leading to a few samurai being killed in surprise. She readied herself when an explosion rocked the wall opposite the throne room and revealed a large group of snow shinobi and a gust of cold wind from the outside reaching her body. The cold made her feel goosebumps sprout but the snow that now spread onto the floor sent chills down her spine.

_'Oh no, they can use their Ice release now!'_

"Fall back! Get back to the throne now!" The few remaining soldiers under her command quickly broke into a run to stand near Koyuki as Sugihara and the snow shinobi went through hand signs simultaneously.

"**Lava Release: Lava Wall!**"

"**Ice Release: Swallow Snow Storm!**"

The quickly formed lava wall encircled the high pedestal and formed around Sugihara's body to protect the defenders. The ice projectiles hit the hot lava head on and immediately melted, showing which advanced element had the advantage. The ANBU captain wished she could smirk but could only cringe in pain as her injuries began to catch up with her and the chakra within her faded away in sustaining the wall.

"Keep up the jutsu! That Uzu shinobi can't keep up the wall for much longer, look how it crumbles!" Yelled one of the snow ninja, eliciting a cheer from his brothers as the wall became smaller and smaller.

Sugihara's vision blurred as her reserves left her and forced the wall to crumble leaving nothing between her and the snow shinobi. She collapsed onto the first step of the throne seat and leaned against the solid surface, holding her scimitar with one hand and staunching the blood of her leg wound with the other.

They readied another attack on the loyalists, one that was meant to annihilate those remaining. A sad smile crossed her face as she thought of her family back home and of her Uzukage. She had failed him, both in staying alive herself and keeping the Daimyo alive until he arrived.

_'I'm sorry Uzukage-sama..'_

The red head contented herself with the odd satisfaction of watching the snow needles launch toward her body in a hail of death. The samurai above her stood in a sacrificial line to protect the Daimyo with one last shield, their own bodies. Koyuki cried out in horror as the attack was launched, pleading with the ninja to stop the madness they had caused.

Suddenly, a figure appeared in front of Sugihara's prone figure; she saw it was a tall man with a two-sided greatsword. The mask jolted her senses back to normal when she recognized the tell tale sign of an Uzu hurricane. He quickly lifted up his mask and without hand signs launched a river of lava into the oncoming projectiles, effectively melting them all. Her eyes widened at the man's ability.

_'Wait, only a few select Uzumaki have the discipline required to use the bloodline without hand signs. The matriarch, Mei-sama and her husband the Uzukage, Naruto-sama. The only others could be the Uzumaki hurricanes. I don't remember one ever having such a large sword as a weapon though.'_

Her questions were soon answered when the figure turned towards her with his mask off, revealing the Uzukage himself. Despite her position, a proud smile crossed her face to see her leader with such a timely arrival. He quickly saw her bleeding leg wound and turned back towards the hole in the roof.

"This ANBU needs medical assistance, Ranmaru get down here!" Two hurricanes appeared at either side of and quickly began to heal her wounds with practiced hands.

"Uzukage-sama..what are you..doing..here?" Her raspy voice escaped from the dry throat, unable to lift above a whisper.

"We are here to save you all of course." He smirked before looking back at the army of ice shinobi before him who had been stunned into inaction.

"Hurricanes! Combination C!" A chorus of 'Understood!' or 'Yes sir!' originated from the roof where he had come from and she soon saw the remaining of the elite bodyguard jump through the hole into action.

Without the use of hand signs, both Hyo clansmen gathered ice chakra into a needle shape within the webs of their fingers. Soon, five ice needles had formed between all ten of their fingers and they began to launch a barrage of projectiles into the snow shinobi formation. They quickly scattered to find cover but soon found themselves walking on lava as the Uzumaki yelled out their technique.

"**Lava Release: Bed of Lava!**" While many attempted to flee, most felt their best chance to kill the Daimyo was staring them in the face and they continued towards the throne pedestal.

Naruto had planned for this and stood alongside his hurricanes in a defensive ring around the structure. He readied his greatsword in front of him and yelled out a challenge to the attacking shinobi.

"You will take no step farther! Uzugakure proclaims the Land of Spring under its protection and you will not be taking Daimyo Kazahana as long as we stand here!" The snow shinobi flinched but remained undeterred in their attack, a few went through hand signs.

"**Ice Release: Swallow Snow Storm!**"

Naruto deflected the projectiles with his large sword with some breaking on impact while others were absorbed by the containment seals. He charged forward and sliced through of stomach of one man, twirling the sword to deflect another one's kunai. The Hyo remained back and continued to use their needles to attack while the Uzumaki threw off their cloaks and revealed their primary weapons, scimitars.

"For the Uzumaki!" They yelled out a battle cry and joined the Uzukage in the fray, clashing metal against ice with the rebels.

Koyuki watched in wonder as the brave hurricanes fought against the people she once thought loyal to her. Their leader, the one with the large sword, interested her most of all. She had been unable to see his face but could feel his confidence and pride ooze off of him as he spoke. The hearts of his men swooned with fiery determination while the tails of his enemies fell between their legs in terror.

_'I wonder who he is, if Naruto sent him then I must trust him. I sort of wish he had come in person though..'_

Naruto cut through another snow ninja's stomach when he began to notice them retreat. The hurricanes gathered around him and waited for further orders as the enemy combatants left them alone in the castle. The battlefield was littered with the dead or dying, some bodies were melting away from the lava still on the ground.

"Sir?" Naruto turned around without saying anything and headed towards Koyuki.

The samurai who remained formed up around her and readied their swords for battle. They had no idea who these shinobi were and were not going to take any chances.

"Stand down!" The samurai looked back at Koyuki who stood up in her royal kimono and pressed past them.

She was still unable to see Naruto's face clearly because his cloak's hood was still on. He was just a random warrior to her before she stood before him and bowed low.

"Thank you for helping us, without you we would be dead. On behalf of my nation, I welcome you to Spring. Please warrior, tell me your name." Naruto looked to see that Sugihara was up, leaning on the Ranmaru as they joined his entourage.

He looked back at Koyuki who was now looking up at him expectantly, he did not want to disappoint. His sword was quickly placed onto his back and his gloved hands moved to his cloak's hood.

"My name.." He started to slowly remove the cloak, not taking his eyes off of Koyuki's. "is Naruto Uzumaki. The Shodai Uzukage!" Her eyes widened as the hood came off and the mess of blonde hair she remembered was once again in front of her.

"N-..Naruto, is that really..you?" Naruto smiled at the surprised woman, he was glad to see he was missed.

He knelt down and slowly lowered her back up to where she was standing in front of him. The shock had still not left her face when Naruto released her hands and let her stand on her own.

"Yep it's me, hime. Or should I say, Daimyo." Suddenly, Naruto was assaulted by her as she clung to his hulking frame and buried herself in his chest. Naruto lost his smile and brought his arms tight around her, the others watched the reaction with surprise.

"N..Naruto..I..tried my best but..I just couldn't..couldn't do it!" Her sobs wracked her entire body, leading Naruto to almost completely envelope her in his cloak.

"Shhhh. It's alright Koyuki, we are going to stop this rebellion. I saved you once, I can do it again." His encouraging words gave Koyuki hope; they also made a warm feeling bubble in her gut.

_'He cares for me so much..and he has gotten quite handsome.'_

Naruto saw her eyes glaze over as she looked at him, a hesitant smile crawled over his face. He did not want to offend her by rejecting her advances, she was quite a beautiful and confident woman after all. But Naruto was happily married and he had a child, there was no way he would betray Mei.

Koyuki moved up to give him a kiss on the lips. She would say it was for rescuing her and he couldn't refuse it. After Naruto stopped the rebellion..then she would lead him to her bed chambers and they would have some fun.

This plan that she created was flawed though as it showed when Naruto moved his face to receive the kiss on the cheek instead. The others were either surprised or relieved, depending on their knowledge of Naruto's marriage.

To the samurai, it was a direct insult to the beauty of their nation; to the hurricanes, it was relief for the Uzukage that he wouldn't have to deal with Mei's temper.

"Naruto? What's the matter?" Koyuki asked, not understanding why he didn't want a kiss.

Naruto gently lifted her up again and held her gloved hands tentatively as he explained.

"I'm sorry Koyuki, but I am married and have a child. You are a very beautiful woman, but I hope you can understand why I don't want to cheat..on..my..Koyuki?" Naruto stopped when he noticed that Koyuki failed to lose her surprised visage and he instantly grew concerned for her.

"M-m-m-m-MARRIED?" Naruto tried to ease her shock and began to give her a quick explanation of his life for the past five years.

Sugihara chuckled a bit at the scene but remembered that she had to find her teammates. She gently shook off the two hurricanes holding her steady and walked out into the frigid cold. Her teammates had last been seen holding the gates against the snow shinobi. The least she could do was gather their bodies for a proper burial, it was the least they deserved.

The gate and walls surrounding the small castle were completely covered in ice, some pieces had broken off and left the defensive measure useless. Upon reaching the gate, her eyes widened at the sight of finding no bodies whatsoever, snow or otherwise.

_'But we killed so many, dozens should be laying here. The snow isn't heavy enough to cover them all..where did they go?'_

A frosty wind hit her again, causing her arms to instinctively move to her chest for warmth. The woman's teeth chattered and she felt so weak for showing such sensitivity to the cold.

Her outfit, like most other people living in Spring for the past few months and years, had been adapted to suit the warmer climate. Now that the land was without sun nor heat, the cold snow was free to move back into the fragile nation and left everyone unprepared. Her ANBU uniform was not enough to keep her warm and she had left her cloak within her bed chambers in the castle.

She continued to wander the grounds, frantically searching for her fallen comrades. Behind her mask, her nose turned red and she sniffed from what could only be a cold. The Uzukage would not like to see her like this, he was always so caring for his shinobi and people that he hated to see them in anything other than top condition.

_'He would understand though..I have to find them..wait. What is that?'_

The red head had spotted outlines on top of a nearby building shaped like people. It looked as though they were hovering slightly off the ground though, the blizzard would not allow her to have a clear view.

"Ookami! Inu! Tora! Is that you?" The figures did not move, but merely swayed with the changing winds.

Their odd movement concerned her and she moved closer to investigate. It was only a few moments later before she stood in front of the figures. Moving closer, she was able to clearly make out their ANBU uniforms, ripped and bloody from the intense fighting.

When she was able to see their heads, that was when she knew their fate; her scream echoed throughout the town.

Naruto was in the middle of detailing the marriage when he heard the scream. He looked around to see Sugihara gone and feared the worst had happened.

"Ranmaru, find the ANBU captain!" The two bloodline users quickly focused their chakra and searched the blizzard for her location.

"I found her sir! Follow me!" The group of hurricanes moved quickly and arrived at her location to find her on her knees, blankly staring at the dead bodies of her teammates.

Naruto looked at them himself, a scowl of disgust graced his features. In their haste to retreat, the snow shinobi either took their dead bodies and hung them by their necks..or they had been captured and hung. Either way, they were dead and it made Naruto very angry.

He looked down at his ANBU captain and frowned, she was just barely holding herself together before she would enter shock. He waved a hand towards the three bodies and his hurricanes quickly set to work untying them and placing them within scrolls to be buried back in Uzu.

Naruto meanwhile went over to the ANBU captain and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. Her head barely moved to acknowledge its presence. Naruto sighed and moved his face close to her ear, rubbing her shoulder a bit to try and warm her up.

"I'm sorry Sugihara, what happened to your teammates wasn't right. I will make sure those who did it will pay, but you have got to say something. You have to be strong." Her neck moved a bit, it was no doubt her trying to do something to break the awkwardness.

"Uzukage-sama..I..I'm..sorry." Sugihara began to fall forward but Naruto was able to quickly catch her and lift her small body in his arms.

He brought her up and carried her slowly back to the castle. His Uzu hurricanes followed in silence for it was time for mourning. No one noticed the tears that fell from Naruto's cheeks on his way back, nor did anyone catch his whispered statement of apology.

"_No, I'm sorry._"

000

_Konohagakure_

_Hokage Office_

Tsunade watched as the final member of the Recovery squad walked in. She had ordered a meeting to be prepared as soon as her ANBU spotters reported that they had found the Three Tails within Wave. Kakashi and Shizune would lead two squads to go and contain the beast to keep it from falling into Akatsuki's hands.

"You have all been gathered here for an important mission. For Konoha to solidify its place within the four-village alliance, we must contribute to the cause. That cause..is defeating Akatsuki!" The members of the newly made squad listened as she continued her speech.

"Your objective is to capture the Three Tailed Turtle within Wave country. You must complete this objective with haste because we do not know whether anyone else knows of its location. Time is of the essence, now move out! I expect nothing but success!" The squad leaped out of sight and Tsunade sat back into her chair, contemplating the events.

_'My spies also told me that Uzu had a presence on the island. I wonder how strong they have become, and just how much they are willing to interfere with our business.'_

000

_Wave Country_

_Tazuna Lake_

The lake was peaceful, quite contrary to the beast that lay sleeping beneath its depths. Birds chirped and monkeys squealed as the day came to its height. A deep mist began to cover the ground and lake with a thickness and foreboding to it.

A few birds nests were disturbed when figures began to hop through the branches. There were eight in all, masked men moving under the cover of shade. Scrolls, linked together with chains and covering their bodies, all had some purpose to the squad's mission. The small katana on their backs served as their defensive weapon, however, with stealth they hoped to quickly finish their objectives without fighting.

"_Sir, there is a chakra mist ahead. Seems to be some sort of illusion causing type. Orders?"_ The leader, the one with the large scroll hanging from his back, reached for the transceiver beneath his mask.

"_Prepare for dissolution of mist, standard containment procedure. Squad B, begin setting up for the Three Tail's containment; no mistakes."_

"_Roger!"_

The eight Tamers burst from the treeline and made a dash across the water. Four split off, encircling the large lake and setting up in a rough square. The other four, including the leader, dashed forward to the center of the thickest mist.

One of the men there pulled out what seemed to be a random scroll from his person and set it onto the murky surface.

_'Hitsuji, I, Ushi, U!'_ The man whispered the names of the hand signs within his mind as he did them; finishing the containment by slamming his foot onto the center seal on the scroll.

The scroll created a small, swirling hole that began to suck in the white mist. The Tamers kept a careful eye on the scroll as the mist was taken in and disappeared.

"Containment successful." Whispered the leader as the hole dissipated and was followed by the kanji for 'containment' to appear within the center seal circle.

"Good job, now we awaken the beast. Step one, attract." He said to his men who began to run to opposite sides of the lake and he did the same.

The incantations and seals were very precise with the beast control, if just one seal is off then the hundreds that were made before were useless. Without having any other tailed beast to test their abilities, the men in the Beast Tamers were all green. It led them to say aloud and count each seal they created during the process.

The men stopped at each one of the corners nearby where Squad B was setting up their scrolls on the ground. The leader's squad went through a number of hand signs next for another jutsu used to rouse beasts.

"Tori, Inu, Tori, Mi, U, Tori, Tatsu, Inu, Mi, Tora, Hitsuji! **Secret Art: Tailed Beast Echo**!" The four slammed their hands onto the water surface and a deep howl was sent into the water.

The four men who made up squad B had quickly finished their setup by this time. They had taken out their own containment scrolls and set them in front of themselves. The four sat down and crossed their legs, balancing themselves on the water and giving them better concentration.

"Here it comes!" Yelled out the leader as the bubbles at the center of the lake intensified until the Turtle itself climbed out.

It seemed very angry to have been awoken so suddenly. It would be even more angry upon finding out what the Tamers had planned for it.

"GO! Step two, grapple and bind!" The four who had used the echo then leaped into action and moved to one side of the beast.

The four quickly launched multiple chakra strings from their fingers and desperately attempted to hold the beast down. At first, the Three Tails thrashed against their holdings and broke free numerous times; it was always taken back under control though by the Tamers.

Squad B had their scrolls set up and began to focus their own chakra strings. These strings connected to the scrolls in front of them and made their way to attach onto the Three Tails. With these strings attached, it led to the third and final step of beast absorption.

_'Step Three, chakra transfusion.'_ The leader thought as he watched the other squad go through the incantations.

"Hitsuji, Saru, Ne, Saru, Tori, Inu, Tatsu, Ushi, Tora, Mi, Tora, Mi, Ne, U, Uma, U, Ushi, Tatsu, Uma, Hitsuji, Ushi, Tatsu, Inu, Tori, Inu, Mi, Saru, Ne, Mi, Ne, Mi, Hitsuji, Uma, Tora, Uma, Tora, I, Tori, I, Tori.." The men listed off each hand sign as they made them, the cycle continuing into the hundreds of hand seals until its completion.

The holders could begin to feel the Sanbi weaken throughout the ceremony, slowly losing its chakra. As it was made of pure chakra, it began to shrink in size as the jutsu went on. Within a few hours, the entire Three Tails was no larger than a lily pad on the water.

_'To think, the Three Tails took six hours. With the amount of chakra within the Nine Tails, how many would it take for Kyuubi? Days, Weeks?'_ The leader thought to himself as the chakra feelers began to dissipate and Squad B finished their long jutsu.

With their voices hoarse from speaking, the men relied only on their minds to complete the last verse of hand signs.

_'Hitsuji, Saru, Ne, Saru, Tori, Inu, Hatsuji! **Secret Art: Tailed Beast Chakra Transfusion!**'_

All four scrolls lit up with a neon green and the kanji for 'contained' appeared on each signifying the capture had been successful. However, such demonic chakra could only be contained in such small sealing scrolls for so long before it broke out again. To this end, they had to move the chakra to something larger and more permanent.

The squads united on the shore and Akeru, the leader of the sealing squad, took off the large scroll that had hung useless from his back. He laid it down onto the ground and unfurled it, revealing dozens of small seals and writings surrounding one large, empty circle in the middle. Above, below, and to the sides of the circles lay four small rectangles; the place for them to set the chakra-containing scrolls.

The men laid the containers down carefully and watched as Akeru completed the final point to the operation; permanently containing Sanbi. He moved to sit in the middle circle and placed his hands in the standard ram hand sign to focus his chakra. His men assumed similar positions around the scroll.

_'This is the most dangerous part. If I fail here, then not only will I be torn apart by the demon chakra, but my men will as well. It is the only though for us to complete the technique by being connected.'_

"Step four.." He gulped, his men looked to each other anxiously and with much trepidation Akeru continued. "final containment." Upon this, Akeru launched into a flurry of hand signs that his men followed; their chant filled the evening air and overwhelmed the peaceful chirps of crickets.

"Hitsuji, Inu, Tori, Saru, Ne, Saru, Hitsuji, Tori, I, Tori, Mi, Ne, U, Ushi, Tatsu, Uma, Ne, Saru, Tori, Ushi, Tora.." The scrolls began to light up in the familiar neon green and chakra strings sprouted from Akeru's body to each.

The man was suddenly assaulted by the intense emotions of rage and hatred. Countless memories flooded through him as the Three Tails attempted to take over his mind and body. The thoughts were of the past when the Three Tails attacked and destroyed countless vessels and villages upon a whim. It was showing Akeru its past in a hope to show him the power he could have if he would just allow the chakra to flow throughout him.

The stalwart ANBU captain refused to give in, instead allowing the operation to continue as planned. To move the chakra from the four small scrolls to the large scroll, the squad was forced to have a medium between the two as the transfer happened.

Of course as leader, Akeru was the one to do the job; however, it would be impossible for his body alone to handle the full amount of the Three Tail's power. To this end, his men would extend chakra feelers and slowly take in portions of the Three Tailed chakra from their leader as he took the vast majority. Through the combined strength of the squad, the Three Tails would falter. Akin to the Kyuubi, it would require _dozens_ of mediums to handle the large amount of chakra beset on them by the Tailed Beast.

"Hold..together!" Akeru grunted in exerted encouragement; he slowly began to transfer what chakra he could handle into the larger scroll. It began to flash green as it slowly received the volatile chakra from the Beast Tamer.

Although their bodies were strong, alone the Tamers would not be able to hold the chakra and it would inevitably consume them. To this end, a special seal had been placed on each of their masks, courtesy of the Uzukage to help contain the beast.

In exchange for temporarily holding the majority of the chakra for the Tamer, the mask would actually change shape. From its blank slate, the mask would morph into the shape of the animal of the tailed beast they sealed.

_'Why must this take so long? We are defenseless at this point, hopefully no one else is in these woods.'_

000

_Lightning Country_

_Valley of Lightning and Thunder_

"Man, what this mothafucka think he was gonna do? Take Bee down? Yeah right!" Bee announced with much vigor standing over the dismembered body of Kisame Hoshigaki.

After a long and drawn out battle, Bee and his fellow cloud nin had defeated the Akatsuki giant. After his sword's defection to Bee's side, Kisame had quickly been pierced by over a dozen swords and his legs and arms completely chopped off by some careful Cloud jonin.

Feeling as though he might as well, Bee himself lead the group back to Kumo. He would tell his brother of yet another victory to go to Bee over the dreaded Akatsuki! As a token of victory, Bee took Samehada as his own personal weapon after the loss of his remaining swords.

If he could see the head of Kisame's body, now submerged deep within a lake, he could see the bloody smirk that remained on the human shark's lips.

000

Well got that done! I was going to add a little aside within Uzu to give Mei some camera time but I couldn't think of anything. I am planning some off-time writing projects that will have Naruto within them, one of which includes something to do with my current poll. Not sure when I will write or even when it could be released, but just think about it a little.

Review!

Bye!


	25. Escalation of Hostilities, Tension!

Uzumaki Clan's Rebirth

Chapter 25

Escalation of Hostilities, Fist Diplomacy!

Naruto escalates the battle in Snow, will his gamble turn a victory? Kakashi's true colors show, what will the consequence be?

**Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO!**

"speaking"

_'thinking'_

"**Jutsu**"

**"Tailed Beast Speak"**

"_Radio Speak"_

NaruxMei

**BLOODLINE WARNING**: Naruto uses **Lava** and **Boil** Release in this story. He has three elements in total because of his bloodlimit, Fire, Water, and Earth.

**Arc: Uzu no Kuni, 6th Elemental Nation!**

000

_Land of Snow_

_Kazahana Castle_

_Sugihara's Bed Chambers_

The urge to sneeze, that was what woke Sugihara up. She leaned up in the comfortable bed and looked around, not remembering how she got there. The memories came back to her quickly, the discovery of her teammates and the Uzukage picking her up and bringing her back to the castle. She smiled at the caring nature of Naruto, he didn't even have to bring her back and he did.

_'He even..whispered those encouraging words to me. He told me I was strong, even when I had failed to protect my team; he didn't think about that.'_ Her thoughts were interrupted by a light knocking on her door.

She checked herself and blushed scarlet upon the discovery she had been dressed in a silk robe. Inappropriate thoughts of what the Uzukage was doing while he was changing her flooded through her mind before she remembered the person at the door.

"Yes, please come in!" The door creaked open and Naruto popped his head in, much to Sugihara's embarrassment.

"Ah! Good to see you up Sugihara-san, I brought you some tea." Naruto walked in, still in his ANBU armor, carrying a tray of tea cups.

Sugihara blushed and looked away as he came closer and laid the plate down on her nightstand. Her room was luxurious as it was inside of the castle, lit by numerous lights hanging from the walls. Her bed was a large, four posts surrounded it and allowed her to pull a curtain around herself. Upon her arrival, she thought the idea silly to hide yourself in a bed; now she was beginning to rethink her statement.

"Now I wasn't sure if you liked this tea or not so I added a little su-" He was interrupted when she slapped him on the cheek, enough to leave a mark.

He turned towards her, astonished at what she had just done. Her gray eyes were wide in sudden recognition of who she had just hit and bowed her head low. The tears began to fall as she realized she had just insulted the Uzukage and she tried to explain.

"I-I'm sorry..Uzukage-sama..I just..how I got my clothes on..you brought me back. I just thought you were..and you act so nonchalant about it." Her arms protectively encircled around her chest as Naruto realized what she was trying to say.

_'Oh, she thinks I'm a pervert or something and took a peek. I may act like a pervert around Mei, but I wouldn't think of doing such a thing to one of my own shinobi.'_

"Ah, I understand Sugihara. I'll leave you alone.." Naruto got up from his position near her bed and moved to the door.

As he prepared to leave, Sugihara looked up and watched. She couldn't bring herself to say anything because she was afraid it would only make things worse. What surprised her the most was when he smiled when he looked at her over his shoulder.

"If it makes you feel any better, I had one of the female hurricanes change you, not me. Please rest, I'm going to take care of the rest of this rebellion so that you don't have to cry anymore." She didn't understand what he meant by that but clearly saw her mistake of slapping him.

She reached a hand out to stop him as he left out the door.

"Wait! Uzukage-sama..I-" She quieted herself when she realized it was too late, he was already gone behind the shut door.

Feeling even further in shame, she turned her head towards the tea. Despite herself, she smiled at the thought of the Uzukage to personally bring her tea. She looked next to it and saw some tissues, also brought by the Uzukage. From being outside for so long, she had indeed contracted a cold.

Picking up the tea, she looked at her reflection in the warm liquid. Her tears made splashes as they hit the water and she drank some of the concoction made by Naruto. Her face warmed upon the sweet taste, no doubt from the sugar added by the Uzukage. Her tears began to fade as she drank more and more of the tea, slowly finding herself falling asleep.

"Thank you..Uzukage-sama."

000

_Land of Snow_

_Kazahana Castle_

_War Room_

Naruto walked the halls as he left the room of Sugihara. He felt for her as he probably wouldn't have been able to bear the deaths of teammates either. He didn't want her to feel so sad though, he was going to make sure to avenge her comrades deaths. That was what he was going to plan in the improvised war room made within the castle.

Every loyalist who was left was there, along with Koyuki. Even though he had suggested she go to bed and get some rest, she refused. She wanted to be part of what he was doing, no matter what it entailed to bring her people back under her sway. In reality, very few of the people actually hated Koyuki enough to rebel; they were uncomfortable with her other job, yes, but not enough to kill her.

_'So that means it is a small rebellion lead by old Dotou supporters. Their first target must have been the spring generator, either destroying it or turning it off. That lead them to have their ice release ability back and that gave them the power to overthrow Koyuki. Looks like the primary battle is going to be at the generator itself.'_

He could feel his shadows following him closely behind. As quiet as they were, Naruto had grown accustomed to sensing their presence. No matter how hard they tried, they couldn't hide from their Uzukage.

He knocked on a door to gain access to the war room. Because they had only driven back the enemy attack and not routed them entirely, the castle was still on alert. Naruto had little doubt though that if the enemy attacked now with him there, they would be utterly destroyed. With the past few hours of quiet, it seemed as though they also had figured that out.

Two samurai opened the door and peeked around the corner to confirm Naruto's identity. They moved to either side of the entrance and bowed as he walked inside. Their eyes just barely catching a glimpse of six blurs that entered right after him, culminating in the appearance of the cloaked hurricanes.

The war room itself was quite barren, probably a room of storage before. Crates were stacked in the corners of the large stone room and the few loyalists remaining sat on barrels or crates. Their eyes carefully tracked Naruto's movement over to the table in the center of the room that had a single map of snow on it.

Koyuki sat at the head of the table in a large chair, a sad attempt by the samurai to emulate her throne. A battle worn general stood next to the table, using small flags to indicate his forces and the enemies. From what Naruto could tell from the grimace on his face and the fact that each and every blue flag was surrounded by a dozen red ones was that they were in trouble.

"General Kabuki." The man looked up to see Naruto approach and he immediately saluted the Uzukage.

"Uzukage-sama." Naruto looked at the map, placing a hand on his chin as he wracked his brain for ideas.

"It doesn't look like we are the winning side this time around huh?" Naruto muttered, carefully observing each location and noticing the dire straits they were in.

General Kabuki sighed, his voice worn and tired. "No, we most definitely aren't. Almost every single scout I still have left alive have reported in that droving war bands of these snow shinobi are taking over all the villages in the countryside. When the rebellion first started, our defense of the generator was heavy.." He moved a finger to point at the location, now surrounded by over a dozen red flags.

"The snow shinobi attacked with kunai and shuriken while we fought back with sword and arrows. It was an even match before..well before they attacked with the kunai guns. You see, we extended our railroad coverage after Daimyo Kazahana was placed in charge of the country. It was of course for peaceful means, to facilitate and increase trade. The snow shinobi, however, were able to get their hands on an old weapons car and used it against us, right next to the generator. We never stood a chance." Naruto nodded, he remembered exactly what that thing had done to the rebels when he first came.

Koyuki also visibly stiffened, remembering Sandayu's sacrifice at the hands of Dotou. It was still a sore spot for her, even if she had acted coldly at that point in time. After reflecting upon her past once she became Daimyo, Koyuki quickly realized that Sandayu was the closest thing she had to a father during the majority of her life.

"Well then, looks like we need to move from here.." Naruto picked up the blue flag that lay inside of the capital city and moved it over to the generator; a few miles away. "To here, and annihilate any resistance given by the snow shinobi. Once we get the generator operational again, they can be routed easily." The general was surprised at how confident and easy Naruto made it sound.

"With all due respect sir, breaking out of the city is nigh impossible let alone reaching the generator. For all we know, they could have destroyed it by now. We don't have the manpower to-" Kabuki was cut off by a hand raised by Koyuki, she looked at Naruto.

"You must have confidence in the Uzukage. He would not have come to help without an idea or the strength to get the job done, he never goes back on his word. Right, Naruto?" Naruto smiled at the young woman, she still remembered his ninja way.

"That's right, I have a plan too. First though.." Naruto swept a hand down onto the map and made all the red flags fall around the capital city; he smirked. "We have to take down all the guys that still threaten this castle. Hurricanes, you are with me! Let's go to the roof for a look." One of the hurricanes threw Naruto his red cloak and he placed it on to cover himself from the inevitable cold.

Koyuki watched as he left, her smile radiated across the room. He was still like the same old Naruto that came to Snow the first time, just a little more mature and better at hiding his excitable personality. She could tell that he was excited about the fight coming up, figuring it would be a great challenge. Her thoughts were interrupted by Kabuki.

"Ma'am, shouldn't some of my men go with him? I mean..this is _our_ country, shouldn't we be trying to get it back too?" Koyuki held her head in one hand as she thought about it.

"Of course we should, but I doubt Naruto needs our help. You would probably just get in the way." Kabuki recoiled, not expecting the negative comment.

"Naruto is in a league of his own, I dare say he could be the most powerful ninja alive." Koyuki whispered, a smile tugging at her lips.

000

_Land of Snow_

_Kazahana Castle_

_Roof_

Naruto and his men quickly got onto the roof and he prepared for his plan. He made a dozen shadow clones and ordered them all to take out their three-pronged kunai. The hurricanes just stood there as Naruto ushered his clones into position around the building's roof.

"Ranmaru, I need you to pinpoint the location of every single snow shinobi inside and around the capital. Uzumaki and Hyo, you guys will stay here and protect the Ranmaru as they do this." The men were shocked by his order's magnitude.

"What will you do sir?" One of them asked.

"I will fight the snow shinobi head on with my technique, just make sure you find every single one of them. I'm going to _kill_ _every. single. one._" They shifted uncomfortably from his tone, he was actually quite frightening.

"Yes, Uzukage-sama." The two Ranmaru sat down and began to focus their chakra while the other four took up spots around them.

Naruto's clones listened as they called out each and every location. Naruto's clones then threw themselves up into the air and showered the city with the kunai, spreading Naruto's influence everywhere. There would not be a single avenue of escape for the snow shinobi. Naruto unsheathed his trusty two-sided greatsword from his back and disappeared in a flash of light.

It would be over in a second.

000

"What are these strange kunai?" Asked one of the men on patrol around the castle. His superior came over and took a look at it for himself.

"Hm, dunno. Did anyone see where it came from?"

"Well I think it came from-" The man was interrupted when a loud gurgling sound was brought to their attention and they turned to face in its direction.

They saw their leader, the one holding the kunai, now holding his throat in an attempt to stop the bleeding. There was no sign of the aggressor but he couldn't have gone far. Out of a corner of their eyes a flash of light and a slash of steel was all that could be seen. They dropped like flies, unable to even utter a word of warning to the others.

It did not matter though, there was no escape from the city. Kunai were spread everywhere, on roofs, through broken windows, on the street, lodged in bodies or armor. Naruto would find and finish them all, it was a mere token of payback for what they did to his men.

Not once did Naruto feel pity for those he struck down, not once did he shed a tear for the traitors of Spring.

000

_Land of Waves_

_Tazuna Lake_

"Almost there..." The leader gasped out as he released the final dregs of demon chakra from his system into the scroll.

Luckily, no one had arrived yet to interrupt them and they were able to almost complete the sealing. It had been exactly two days since they had arrived, the men had been forced to handle the elements unprotected. They sat, both in rain and sun, going through hand signs and taking overwhelming pain. It brought a source of pride for the beast tamers to think they could do what others couldn't.

Suddenly, it was over. Their masks reverted back to blank husks and the scroll lit up with the kanji for 'contained'. The leader quickly rolled up the scroll and slung it over his back. He did not like remaining in these woods without any backup.

"Let's move out." The eight tamers dispersed, heading straight back to Uzu.

Only a few minutes later, the Konoha recovery squad arrived. They had asked the local populace where the lake's location was and only received angry glares and misdirection. Thanks to the locals, they were a day late behind schedule. Shizune and her team immediately got to work locating the beast while Kakashi's team stayed on shore.

He looked around suspiciously as he had felt chakra sources nearby when they arrived. There was also a strong taint of demon chakra near where he stood, although it could have been from the lake. Still, it was odd for others to be out here near such a dangerous place.

_'I think someone else may have gotten here first. Was it Akatsuki?'_

"Kakashi-sensei, what are we supposed to do?" The scarecrow turned to look at Rock Lee, a member of his squad.

"We are to protect the sealing team, keep watch around the lake for trouble." Rock Lee looked out on the lake and saw Sakura dutifully performing the barrier technique. Tenten sighed as hearts appeared in his eyes and he sniffled in reverence to her beauty.

"If my duty is to protect my blossom, than it is my pleasure! Nothing will stand in the way of my BURNING PASSION OF LO-" He was pounded on the head by an irate Tenten who was annoyed by his yelling.

"Shut up Lee! Kakashi-sensei can you please..do..something..?" Tenten turned around to find no Kakashi, Shino was standing off to the side as if he didn't notice her stare.

"Where did Kakashi-sensei go?" Shino looked over to her, finding it somewhat comical that she asked while holding a dazed Lee by the nape of the neck.

"He said he had some business to look into on the island and that he wouldn't be long. Also, I suggest you let go of Lee before he chokes to death." She turned around to see him growing blue in the face and gasped, releasing him from her death grip.

"Tenten, your blossom is so harsh to the touch! No matter how I attempt to approach it it always pricks me with its thorns.." Lee spoke of in a half-conscious daze, making Tenten look down at him blushing.

_'Was he just hitting on me right there? I just can't understand this guy..'_

000

_Land of Waves_

_Forest_

Akeru pushed his men to move faster through the forest. He could easily sense a presence following them from the lake and that meant they knew what happened. His men were exhausted and ineffective, but there was a chance that they could bluff the enemy into retreating. One of his men jumped closer to him on the path they were moving.

"Sir, you know there is an enemy approaching us? What are our orders?" Akeru continued to move forward until they reached a patch of grass.

He flew down to the ground and his men landed around him in a rough circle. He quickly made quick hand signals and his men dispersed around the area and prepared scrolls for the aggressor. Akeru remained in the middle of the green patch, he had replaced the actual beast scroll with one of his subordinates and instead had a disguised log.

Kakashi appeared in the field and Akeru visibly lowered his guard somewhat. The unique man looked familiar, as if he..the memory came flooding back to the captain.

_'Wait, this man is that leaf shinobi at the Uzukage's wedding. What is he doing here? Wait..he might have orders to take the Three Tails from us, we have to remain on our guard.'_

"How do you do, Konoha-san. May I ask why you are following us?" Kakashi had his hands in his pockets and his sharingan still hidden behind his headband.

Kakashi shrugged as he nonchalantly looked around in the trees and sensed seven other presences, although they cloaked themselves well.

_'Uzu ANBU, these guys are an interesting bunch. I suppose they already took the Three Tails and they are careful to see if I want it for the Leaf. They are smart and cautious even in front of a potential ally, Naruto trained them well.'_

"I want to confirm that you have the Three Tails with you, is that true?" Akeru stiffened and Kakashi had his answer. He saw the beast tamer move for a scroll on his armor and held up a hand in defense, his eye in a crescent smile to act in a disarming fashion.

"Hey now, no need to go for hostilities. You may not be part of the four-village alliance but that doesn't make us enemies does it?" Akeru wasn't convinced and scoffed at Kakashi's attempt at peace.

_'This man is good, he has already sensed my men and he has a sharingan underneath that damn headband. It would be great if we could take him down here, but combat isn't our forte especially in our condition. Any village could want this tailed beast for its power, I doubt they would even be willing to tell the other villages that they have it in the first place.'_

"The Uzukage told us to be wary of other village's involvements, especially _Konoha's_. I have nothing to discuss with you either than to tell you to stop following us and allow us to get to Uzu without your team's interference." Kakashi's eye went from a smile to a dead serious gaze into the hidden eyes of Akeru.

"You know, its impolite to get rid of a guest like that. I know that Wave has some sort of alliance with Uzu but that doesn't mean I can't walk on this ground here. On orders from my Hokage, I should grab that tailed beast from you..forcibly if I have to." Akeru tensed again and his men prepared their backup plan.

"We have orders from our Uzukage as well, we will not be stopped even if we must defeat one of his old friends." The two continued in a standoffish fashion for a while, neither moving.

"What can you do.." Kakashi started to say as he took his hand off of his kunai holster and placed it back in his pocket, inclining his head down to look at the ground. "When you do not wish to fight but have orders from your leader to accomplish the objective no matter what even if it means war? Do you listen to your leader..or do you listen to your heart?" Akeru thought the question was obvious, listen to your leader without question.

"You listen to the leader of your village, without question. Their wisdom is enough and their order is absolute, that is why we have ranking systems." Kakashi looked back up at Akeru and eye smiled again.

"I'm sorry ANBU-san, the question actually was more to myself than to you. You know..I would have answered the same as you back when I was young. Now that I'm older though..I have a different outlook on that question. Would you like to hear it?" Akeru eyed the man carefully but nodded anyway.

"I believe its better to listen to your heart in such a delicate situation. Your leader is not always right and sometimes just one mistake can destroy a village..or a friendship. I lost almost everything when I was young, but the one thing that stuck with me was the strength I received from relying on my comrades. That is why.." Kakashi's seriousness shocked Akeru as he listened enraptured by the man's heartfelt speech. "I will not betray my comrade Naruto and attack you. I will no doubt be disciplined when I go home to Konoha but if my decision saves us from war, I have done my job as a jonin. And.." His eyes took a more reverent look.

Akeru was beginning to understand just what Kakashi was trying to say and felt the lesson resonate in his heart. His men were also very enraptured in the speech as Kakashi finished it.

"If my decision saves my friendship with Naruto that I treasure so dearly well..then I couldn't ask for more. Please be on your way Uzu-san, I will keep my squads in the dark of our meeting." Akeru could only watch in astonishment as the sharingan user left without another word.

He scratched the back of his head and just watched the direction his chakra moved, farther and farther away from them. His men assembled around him and one of them handed him the real tailed beast scroll.

_'Kakashi Hatake huh?..Interesting guy. The Uzukage made a good choice in befriending him, how ever he did that though and how he got the bond to be so deep..I will never know.'_

"What does this mean sir?" Asked one of his men to which Akeru chuckled.

"I think we just got permission to go back home. Let's go."

000

_Land of Waves_

_Tazuna Lake_

Shizune and her squad had already given up on trying to find the tailed beast, it was as if it was completely missing. The two squads were now on shore waiting for Kakashi to come back. With little else to do, they were going to have to go home in failure.

"Our intel could have been off, right Shizune?" Sakura suggested to her squad leader only to hear her sigh in exasperation.

"I'm not so sure Sakura, somehow I get the feeling someone got here first." The squads shifted uncomfortably, thinking of the possibility of Akatsuki nabbing another tailed beast when they could have stopped them.

"Now whatever could give you that idea?" The group of shinobi turned to see Kakashi nonchalantly come out of a tree and give a little wave. "Yo."

"Kakashi-sensei, where have you been?" Sakura yelled in his ear, leading him to pick at it a little in mocking Sakura.

"Sorry, got lost on the road of life. By the way, I don't really think Akatsuki took the tailed beast. Our intel suggests they still didn't know of its location." Hinata coughed a little, bringing Kakashi to look at her in curiosity.

"Something to add, Hinata?" She blushed at acknowledgment but nodded anyway, raising her voice slightly to be heard.

"What..makes you say that Kakashi-sensei?" Kakashi scratched the back of his head in an attempt to think of something to say.

_'I can't betray Naruto's trust but..I don't really feel like being thrown in jail either.'_

"Let's just say I have a hunch..that it is in a safe place." They looked at one another, everyone in confusion and not really buying it. "Now come on, how about I treat you all to some food in town before we head back?" Choji quickly jumped on that idea.

"ALRIGHT! Let's go, I can't wait to see the restaurants this place has got!" Kakashi was thankful they had the Akamichi on the team, his announcement made everyone forget about his words before.

Shizune eyed Kakashi suspiciously as he began to walk off with the rest of the squad. There was obviously something stressed in his story, something she couldn't put her finger on though. He turned to look at her, recognition crossing his face as he realized just what she was thinking.

"Coming Shizune?" She woke up and saw Kakashi lagging behind to wait for her; she blushed in embarrassment before running to catch up.

"Yes Kakashi-san."

_'I will have to speak with Lady Tsunade.'_

000

_Uzugakure_

_Uzumaki Compound_

_Inner Estate_

Mei gently rocked Roshi to bed, or at least tried to. She and her son were sitting in the family room and he just wouldn't stop crying. The morning after Naruto left, he just wouldn't stop crying and it led her to believe that her little boy was a daddy's boy; she smirked at the thought.

"Shhhh...please stop crying baby. Daddy's coming back soon, mommy promises." He quieted down for a few moments and led Mei to sigh in happiness with the quiet.

She soon realized that it was only to catch his breathe as he began a new crying fit. Mei stood up and began to pace around the room, purposely exaggerating her walking to bounce him up and down. His tears turned into cries of joy as he smiled for the first time in the past few days. His mother smiled and kissed his forehead with affection only a mother could show.

"Thank you baby, mommy's so happy that you stopped crying. Now I can feed you.." Mei sat back down and undid her shirt to reveal a swelled breast to which her son again cried in joy.

_'He is such a pervert..just like his father.'_

She sighed in happiness as the baby began to suck, filling the house with the quiet smacking sounds of his mouth against her nipple. The tension had grown in her breasts from swelling so much, she was sure Naruto would joke that they were Tsunade's size when he came back. She would have to make sure he 'fed' from her as well just to get rid of the pain.

_'The doctors said it wouldn't last forever but it sure likes to drag on and on. Oh Roshi..why can't you be big already?'_

While the baby himself was plump, it was a cakewalk for her to hold and care for him. She was sure it would be difficult for a small child to hold him but he would eventually work off all that fat when she and Naruto began to train him in shinobi arts. Mei really couldn't wait either, she knew her son would be strong just like his father.

Her thoughts came to an end when there was a loud knocking on the door. She stood up and quickly headed upstairs to place the baby in his crib. He wasn't happy to have his feeding cut short but somehow knew to keep quiet. Mei swiftly moved downstairs to the door and carefully began to open it in case of an unknown intruder.

To her surprise the loud knocking was because of the visitor's large hands. Yomara stood before her, the first Lava Monkey she had come into contact with personally. He was smiling, or at least as far as Mei could tell with his animal face.

"Hello matriarch-sama, it has been some time since I last laid eyes on you. How have things been since that ritual you did a few days ago?" Mei smiled at the monkey's friendly attitude.

"Well, Naru-koi had to leave for a mission in Spring so he hasn't been here for the past few days.." She was surprised when Yomara beat his fist into the ground angrily.

"What? That is totally inappropriate for the alpha of your troop to leave so soon especially after the infant's birth! Unacceptable..if you will pardon my language matriarch-sama." Mei waved his concerns off, she actually agreed with the large red ape.

"I don't like him leaving the village either, but we both have accepted its necessary for the moment. With our manpower so low, Naruto's strength is needed on missions outside of the village." Yomara still looked combative on the subject.

"Yes but still, it is inappropriate for-" Mei held up a hand for quiet, to which the monkey reluctantly obeyed her wishes; Mei gave an innocent smile to the summon.

"Thank you for your concerned Yomara, but it really isn't necessary. Naruto promised me that he would never leave me, for as long as he draws breathe this village is his home. He will protect it with his life, just as anyone living here would attest to the same thing. He said it relates to something from Konoha..the will of fire..he jokingly referred to it as the strength of the vortex." Yomara smiled, Mei really made a good female for Naruto-sama, so understanding of his position.

"Well I'm sure you didn't come here just to talk Yomara, what would you like to know?" The monkey seemed confused until he suddenly remembered his original purpose.

"Ah yes, I wanted to talk to Naruto-sama actually but since the patriarch isn't here..well..I suppose I can talk to you and have you tell him for me?" Mei giggled and nodded, encouraging the monkey to continue.

"Yes, what is your message Yomara?" He turned somewhat serious all of a sudden, clearing his throat and standing somewhat straighter. Mei could see the sudden change and also became serious.

"Please Mei-sama, you must be uncomfortable standing on your porch. At least sit down as my message might take a while." Mei shrugged and sat down in front of the monkey who in turn decided to sit as well.

"Now, if you may remember, the first time Naruto-sama summoned me I relayed to you the status of the island. I also gave you some background on the lava monkeys and mentioned something of training.." Mei wracked her brain to remember, Yomara waited patiently until her face came to sudden recognition.

"Ah yes! I remember now, you mentioned something of lava training? Harnessing geothermal energy or something along those lines, right?" Yomara nodded excitedly, glad she remembered after so much time.

"Yes matriarch-sama, I came here to bring the good news to Naruto-sama that it is now the time for such training. We are not blind, we have heard and seen the destruction the Akatsuki as you call them have wreaked in the world. While we will willingly fight alongside you, we could not bare to see Naruto-sama go into battle with their leader if we could do something to make him stronger." Mei pondered this information, he could make her Naruto stronger?

"So this training, you make it sound as if it is quite a strength booster? What exactly does it entail and why is Naruto the only one to have it suggested to? Has anyone else done this before?" Yomara was hit by the barrage of questions like a brick and panicked; Mei giggled at his confusion.

"Just answer one at a time please Yomara, we have plenty of time." The monkey took a moment to collect himself before continuing.

"Yes matriarch-sama, it is a strength booster but it is much more. It can further boost his ninjutsu, genjutsu, and taijutsu to enormous levels and gives him a larger reservoir of chakra to call on. It also includes a protective layer of lava over his entire body, protecting him from physical attacks." Mei thought it sounded too good to be true, it also looked like Yomara was hesitant to continue.

"Why is Naruto the only one so far asked and who else has done it?" Yomara gulped and shifted his body uncomfortably.

"Well you see...the risks are great for patriarch-sama. The previous ones who have tried have all..died." Mei's eyes widened in surprise and she physically recoiled from the monkey as if he was poisonous.

"What...did you say?" She asked quietly, Yomara could hear the obvious disbelief in her voice though.

"I meant to say..those who have tried to attain perfect avatar form have..died horrible deaths. You see the final trial entails fully submerging oneself in the lava of a volcano and well..that is obviously very lethal to humans.." Mei began to glare at Yomara, making him shrink even further.

"No. I refuse to allow my husband to do something like that." Yomara was shocked, he began to stutter in argument.

"Bu-bu-but matriarch-sama, surely you realize the importance of the trai-" He was stopped when Mei raised her voice further.

"NO! I have said no, I will not allow my husband to risk everything just like that for some power that he already doesn't need! We have a child now, I don't want to lose him and I know our baby doesn't." Yomara could do nothing against that, he decided to at least put up a front for a little longer though.

"But-" Mei would have none of it and pointed at the door that would lead him out of the clan head's compound.

"Out now." The seriousness of her tone made any thought of argument nill. Yomara bowed in apology as he headed out.

"Excuse me for my rudeness Mei-sama, I only wished to help." With that over with, Mei entered the house only to hear her baby crying again.

She ran up to the room to find him in his crib, probably awoken from his mother's loud voice. Mei picked him up and began to rock him, laying kisses all over his face. He opened her eyes and showed her the beautiful blues she had fallen in love with five years ago.

"Shhh..everything's fine baby. Mommy isn't mad, she just had to make the big bad monkey leave." Her rocking settled the baby down who began to mewl; Mei looked up as she continued to talk to the baby and unknowingly to herself.

"Daddy isn't going anywhere..mommy won't let him do something stupid like that. Daddy isn't leaving us..no he isn't." She knew Naruto would be combative, but she would stand her ground on this subject.

Patriarch of the family be damned, the Uzumaki woman was not about to let her man die a needless death.

000

_Land of Snow_

_Outskirts of Heat Generator_

Naruto had lead his party over the stretch of snow to the generator with his strength and anger alone. He had not allowed anyone else to partake in the battle, only allowing himself to do the fighting. While the hurricanes were concerned, they had to admit the Uzukage could make progress. He had already killed over _one hundred_ enemy shinobi and his kill count was continuing.

It seemed as if his anger over losing men had consumed him, even though he still acted quite friendly to his men when he took a few minutes of break. The teleporting actually did not use much chakra at all, it was the physical toll on his body that was getting to him. While the snow shinobi were completely helpless to his assault, Naruto's large sword was still very tiring to use in such a long amount of time.

Because of his anger, he was also needlessly butchering them more than he had to. An extra swing here, cutting off the optional appendage there, it was too much for the Uzukage to handle.

"We're almost there, push forward!" Naruto threw a kunai into the chest of one shinobi only to teleport into the group that had followed behind him; no survivors were left.

The entourage following him, the hurricanes and a small group of warriors sent by Koyuki, could only step over the bodies and watch helplessly as he continued his rampage. One of the loyalist snow shinobi politely nudged one of the hurricanes and pointed towards the avatar of destruction that was fighting atop a literal mound of dead snow shinobi bodies. He ducked under a kunai throw and burned through an ice jutsu with his lava attack.

"Is he..always like this?" The hurricane only shook their head negatively, this was the first time they had seen the Uzukage so..ruthless.

"I believe losing his men affected him more than we had foreseen. It just shows how big of a heart the Uzukage has." The snow shinobi merely nodded in agreement, absently fearing that the Uzukage might confuse him as a traitor with his uniform on.

As they approached the large pillars that surrounded the heat generator, they found that it was miraculously intact. It appeared as though the snow shinobi had merely shut it down, not destroyed it as they had at first thought. Naruto soon realized that the snow shinobi were either all dead or had begun to retreat as he struck down what seemed to be the last one.

As he approached the generator, he felt a rumbling and began to sense chakra at his feet. His eyes widened in recognition as he remembered just where he had first seen this, back on his first visit to Snow. He turned around to warn the unsuspecting others.

"Get out of here! The enemy are using the railways!" The Uzu shinobi were confused but the loyalist snow were not, they quickly began to run uphill to escape the coming attack.

The Hurricanes quickly followed suit, leaving Naruto as the only one standing on the tracks. He saw a tunnel, hollowed out from ice making up a mountain, illuminated by an oncoming train. He bit his thumb and went through the summoning hand signs, calling on a massive amount of chakra to come forth.

"**Summoning Technique!**" A large puff of smoke, something akin to Gamabunta's size, appeared to Naruto's side.

He looked up in wonder as the smoke disappeared to find a three-tailed Lava Monkey. Its tails swished around in confusion and its back was covered in crimson fur showing its place as a dominant troop member.

"Who has summoned me?" Naruto quickly ran up its arm and stood on top of the Lava Monkey's head.

At first, the monkey was annoyed that some human just nonchalantly ran up on his head. Upon looking up and seeing the face of the human though, his demeanor quickly changed to that of a respectful one.

"Uzumaki-sama, it is good to see you! What have you summoned the boss monkey, Yokyo, for?" Naruto pointed towards the ice tunnel where the train was beginning to emerge; on its presence course it would run straight into the lava monkey's feet.

"I want your help taking that thing out!" Yokyo looked down at the diminutive human machine and chuckled, the monkey cracked his knuckles and stood at the ready.

"As you wish, Uzumaki-sama!" The monkey picked up the lead train car and threw it onto the ground, permanently derailing that ride for the traitors. The monkey looked ready to squash each car with its foot when Naruto stopped it with a stressed cry.

"No don't! They might attempt to blow up the train or something if you try something like that. Let's finish it off from a distance." Yokyo seemed to take it into consideration before deviously smirking.

"I like the way you think patriarch-sama!" They both went through simultaneous hand signs before launching a sheet of lava over the entire train.

"**Lava Release: Melting Apparition Wave!**" The lava covered the entire train and began to melt the entire train and its occupants.

Naruto could not hear their cries from his elevation and did not care to. He instead just sat there on Yokyo's head, watching the destruction with a sharp glare. As the attack dissipated and the train was nothing but ash, Naruto jumped off the monkey's head and headed down to the generator around the large mirrored pillars.

Yokyo remained as the others came down from uphill and stood near the Uzukage. Naruto attempted to turn it on by turning the key that Koyuki had at one point worn around her neck. His eyes widened in surprise when the key broke, lodging what was left of the stone inside of the key permanently.

"No!"

"The key stone!"

"Without it, we will never return to spring!" The snow shinobi began to cry, they believed the mission failed.

Naruto had to admit, it was a dirty final trick by the traitors. However, they had not expected there to be a lava user amongst those who came to Spring's rescue. Naruto signaled for the two Uzumaki Hurricanes to follow him back over to Yokyo. They all climbed on top of his head and discussed Naruto's formulated plan.

"What can we do Uzukage-sama?" They asked, wanting to do whatever they could to help.

"What must be done to melt ice and warm a land? What defeats ice pure and simple? Remember, that heat generator was all that was needed to warm Spring again." The two hurricanes wracked their brains for a moment as did Yokyo before he began to laugh loudly.

"You are a shrewd man patriarch-sama! I can see now why the Uzumaki have put you in charge of the village." The two hurricanes were still confused while Naruto just smiled and petted the top of Yokyo's head.

"Thank you Yokyo, I'm glad you can see the beauty in simplicity."

"What are you planning to do Uzukage-sama?" Naruto smirked as he explained.

"We will pool our chakra together and create a large volcano here at the center of Snow! It will spread the lava under the earth and mix with the dormant heat stored beneath Spring leading it to warm up. Let's see those bastards try and sabotage a volcano!" The hurricanes nodded in agreement, it was a simple but in theory correct plan.

"Alright, all together now go through the right hand signs!" The humans dropped to the ground and simultaneously went through over forty hand signs before stopping and slamming their hands onto the ground. It began to shake as Yokyo slammed his own onto the ground leading to a small earthquake from his size.

"**Lava Release: Volcano Eruption!**" The ground began to tremble until the earth began to rise up high into the sky to form the basis of the volcano. The chakra quickly mixed and created lava within and it melted through the earth and ran all under Spring.

The change was unnoticeable at first, but slowly over the next hour, the snow began to melt away and reveal spring. The snow shinobi cheered and the hurricanes applauded their Uzukage for a brilliant plan. The sun revealed itself from the previously gray skies and Naruto was given the front row seat to the sight of dozens of bloody pools of bodies surrounding him. He gulped and felt an odd feeling in his stomach before immediately throwing up at the sight. The shinobi around him quickly flocked to his aid, surprised by his reaction.

"I..I can't believe I did that..I..killed them all?..I killed them all..didn't I?" His eyes were quivering and it looked as though he would heave again.

"I'm sorry Uzukage-sama, but yes you did. You said we should not interfere, you were protecting us by taking on the responsibility yourself." Naruto looked at the hurricane that explained, his eyes tearing up.

"I..was so taken over..by hatred..has Kyuubi really taken over me?" The hurricane smiled under her mask, she of the Ranmaru could not detect a single trace of Kyuubi's influence.

"No sir, I could see with my own eyes that Kyuubi held no sway over you." Naruto looked even worse after that.

"So..I enjoyed this..doing this with my own anger? I'm..a monster." She set a hand on his shoulder as did the other hurricanes to reassure him he was wrong.

"No sir, you just care so much for your fellow shinobi..you are willing to take any means necessary to protect us. Since you failed to protect the three ANBU of Sugihara's squad, you took it upon yourself to be their harbinger of justice so to speak and killed those you found guilty. You have done nothing wrong Uzukage-sama." Naruto collapsed onto the ground, physically and emotionally exhausted, the hurricanes quickly picked him up and began to take him back to Koyuki's castle.

Yokyo smiled as they walked away and dispersed himself back home.

_'Patriarch-sama..he had such a big heart it even surprised him.'_

000

_Land of Spring_

_Kazahana Castle_

_(Rebuilt) Throne Room_

"So Naruto, what may I do to repay Uzugakure's overwhelming service to Spring?" Koyuki asked Naruto who stood before her throne.

He remained in Spring for the next few days after his victory at the generator to make sure everything went according to plan. While waiting for Koyuki to calm the populace, Naruto and his hurricanes dispersed across the country and repaired any damages caused by them or the snow shinobi. It made the spring citizens to enjoy the Uzugakure company very much. Sugihara also had recovered from her sickness and stood with Naruto's hurricanes ready to return home.

Naruto smiled as she posed the question. While he did not like to think he had such a high power over someone as he did in this particular situation, it still felt good.

"Well, there are a few things that Uzu no Kuni would appreciate if you could do for us." Koyuki inclined her head and slightly waved her hand to signal him to continue.

"Anything Naruto, I promised to help you in any way I could." Naruto kept his smile as he explained their top needs.

"I seem to remember your country produced chakra armor, would you still happen to have the schematics for the design? It would be much appreciated if we could work with you and set up a trading contract for it. Also, your country is highly industrialized and I wish to know if I could borrow some of your engineers to come to my own country and help us incorporate technology into our city. Last but not least, I wish to expand the Uzu presence here and establish a permanent recruiting center for shinobi here. It will be similar to a hidden village except it will be smaller and the shinobi will only come to Uzugakure for advanced training if they wish. Think of it as your own personal defense force dedicated to you by Uzu." Koyuki seemed to think over the terms for a few moments while her flustered advisers were about to talk her into saying no.

"Done, done, and done. I actually was going to ask something similar to your third term anyway so I'm glad it worked out. Please feel free to come visit us some time here in Spring Naruto, we already named that volcano after you, before you know it you will be the talk of all of Spring!" Naruto smiled as he placed his cloak back on and covered his face with the hood.

"I'll look forward to it Koyuki-chan. See ya." With his goodbye said, Naruto and his men disappeared leaving a blushing Koyuki.

_'Bastard, if only he wasn't married.'_

000

_Uzu Island_

_Uzugakure_

_Uzukage's Bed Chambers_

Naruto arrived in Uzu a few days after his departure and returned feeling much more refreshed. He was actually quite homesick and wanted to see his family after being gone for more than a week.

He had received the news from Akeru that the capture had been successful, in no small thanks to Kakashi Hatake. He stored the Three Tails inside the old vault he had found his kage robes in, thinking it the safest place for such a delicate treasure.

Upon his return, Mei had been ecstatic. There was something off about her though, Naruto sensed. She seemed..tense after something as if an argument went on. He couldn't put his finger on it specifically though.

Right now, Naruto sat at his desk within their bed chambers. His wife was busy putting on her night gown and he was in only his boxers. Their baby was sound asleep and all that was left to do was to go to bed themselves.

Naruto was contemplating the future war against Akatsuki while Mei continued to fret over Naruto discovering what she kept from him. She had cried many times when he was away, arguing with herself on whether she should let him know or not. In the end, she decided she would not tell him and if he did find out, she would personally forbid him from following through on it.

The tense atmosphere between them was mainly emanated from Mei though. Her awkwardness was slowly pushing Naruto away and her cheerful personality was riddled with guilt over lying to her husband. He decided to get into bed without her and lay there, waiting for her to come out.

When she exited, Naruto smiled at her chosen attire. It was a short, provocative night dress that revealed all of her legs and almost all of her cleavage. She laid down with a mask of happiness that Naruto immediately recognized but played off as nothing. He ran his hands up and down her arm, sensuously rubbing her arms in an attempt to entice her into sex.

Mei was not in the mood though for the first time in their relationship, her stress was too much to think about. Naruto did not seem to take the hint and Mei rolled over and whispered good night.

"I'm sorry Naruto, but I don't feel like it tonight." Naruto was surprised, no, shocked at her response.

Not once had they been like this, he had to truly wonder what had happened while he was gone. He knew better than to approach Mei when she was in such a mood though, rolling over himself to face in the opposite direction.

"Alright then, good night." He immediately fell asleep, albeit troubled with the situation.

Mei had lied when she said she was asleep and rolled over to look at him. This was the first time he had not wrapped his arms around her, she felt so lonely. She regretfully reminded herself though that it was mainly her fault, being so Uzumaki stubborn over something like this. It took all her willpower to remind her just why she was acting this way and ended up crying herself to sleep.

_'I'm sorry Naruto, but this has to be done. I don't like it either but..if I don't want to lose you then I have to stay strong!'_

000

_Kirigakure_

_Secret Meeting Room_

"So, the snow rebellion was a failure?" Madara asked rhetorically, having already heard Zetzu's report.

The spy grimaced at his failure and how Madara blatantly pointed it out.

"Yes sir, I was able to incite a rebellion amongst the populace but the Uzukage himself came to the Daimyo's rescue. He was able to completely crush them single handed and brought heat back to them even after I broke the damn generator. I failed sir." Madara shifted in his chair a bit, pondering out loud his thoughts.

"Naruto Uzumaki huh? What a pest. Let's just hope Sasuke and Kisame accomplish their objectives."

000

Tension between Uzumaki, I thought it wouldn't happen but I guess it was inevitable. Mei doesn't want Naruto to do the dangerous training and her chipper mood is affected by the stress of lying. Naruto doesn't even know what's the matter, how will they break the ice and connect again. I was even planning on writing a lemon this chapter, damn you Mei and your womanly feelings!

On a lighter note, I loved the most recent chapter of the Naruto manga and the bonding between mother and son. Naruto even complimented his mom on being a 'babe'. It really gave me some ideas for my NaruKushi story that will be released some time after this one's completion.

See ya!

Review!


	26. Tension in Paradise, the Mentors Mistake

Uzumaki Clan's Rebirth

Chapter 26

Tension in Paradise, the Mentor's Mistake!

Kakashi is in trouble! Will the conflict arising in Uzu turn into a fight, or will Naruto defuse it in time?

**Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO!**

"speaking"

_'thinking'_

"**Jutsu**"

**"Tailed Beast Speak"**

"_Radio Speak"_

NaruxMei

**BLOODLINE WARNING**: Naruto uses **Lava** and **Boil** Release in this story. He has three elements in total because of his bloodlimit, Fire, Water, and Earth.

**Arc: Uzu no Kuni, 6th Elemental Nation!**

Hey guys, thanks for reading my latest addition to Uzumaki Clan's Rebirth! Got a lot of surprising and intense happenings in this episode and probably more than one mental cliffhanger that you will have to wait until next chapter to see what happens! I can tell you that we are definitely approaching the final conclusion, but we still have to build up a little more to it or else it will feel too sudden. Sure, I want to write something new too and I know you guys want to read a new idea, but I'm not just going to stop writing this with a few sloppy chapters and a crappy epilogue.

If I had to choose one story that will define my fanfiction career, it will probably be this one because of its length and level of originality. I mean seriously, how many fics do you see Naruto becoming a kage and the leader of a bloodline using clan within his own country? I doubt very many. So please, continue to enjoy this long story of mine to its conclusion and be sure to stay with me as I continue to write my other stories.

As a side note, this chapter is my second ever to go over 10,000 words. I really didn't think it would but eh, looks like I got carried away. I hope you enjoy it and want to come back for more.

000

_Konohagakure_

_Streets_

"_District A is clear, over."_ A voice crackled over a transceiver, a status report for the superior officers in charge of overseeing the delicate operation.

"_District B, thinning out over here."_

"_District C, main procession has arrived. The people are quiet, recommend moving the subject now, its the shortest distance to the court."_

The captain grunted, weighing his options. Sure, it was the shortest route, but the people were centering around this area as soon as they caught wind of what was going on. If they walked the prisoner in, it would be hell with the chaotic crowds.

"_Sir? Do we have permission to move the subject through District C to reach the Hokage building?"_ The man sighed and reached for the mic under his mask, tapping it to speak.

"_Roger that, Squads 1-3 will take the flanks and hold back the crowds while squad 4 walks the prisoner through. Squads 5 and 6 will take rooftop duty, watch the crowds for anything suspicious and always stay in the lead."_

The man stood up from his seat within an armored carriage, his men followed suit. His cloak was white, signifying his superior rank over his three men of black cloaks. Their animal masks signified their place as the elite of Konoha, the ANBU. The room was dark, only small slits where the armor did not cover allowed the early evening sunset to flow through casting an orange light on them.

With them was one man, chained to the floor of the small sitting room where they stood. He was wearing a white straight jacket, the sleeves unhooked only to allow his arms to be chained to the floor. Instead of his usual leaf headband covering his sharingan, a special black eye patch was hanging over it to prevent chakra from escaping. The one amenity they allowed him to have was keeping his usual blue face mask, it covered his sullen, gloomy frown.

Kakashi sighed lightly as the carriage transporting him to his 'trial' stopped, making the ANBU move to either side of him. They went through a few seals and his bindings were released only for two of them to quickly hook his arms back into locking positions on his chest. They gave him a somewhat preferential treatment, seeing as how he was once in ANBU himself.

"Kakashi-senpai, are you ready?" Kakashi had long since signed his own fate, he was prepared to face the consequences.

"Yes Tenzo, let's get this over with. I want to see what they really think of me. A traitor? Martyr? Believer in peace? It doesn't matter anymore though." Yamato cringed at how..broken Kakashi acted; he had lost hope in Konoha, just as Tenzo was beginning to feel.

He nodded regardless and indicated for two men to hold Kakashi on either side of him while he and another walk in front and back. As they moved in position, he requested another report from the men stationed outside.

"_Squads one through three in position!"_ Outside the armored carrier, over a dozen ANBU and Jonin were holding back at the rowdy and chaotic crowds.

"_Squads five and six in position. Ready on your go."_ The eight ANBU he had ordered on the rooftops remained hidden, their shadows bathed in the sunset.

"_Roger, we are opening the casket!"_ Yamato gripped the door and pulled hard to move the steel armored vehicle.

As soon as the door was open, Yamato was met with screams from the crowd and the occasional object thrown at the vehicle. He waved over his shoulder to indicate them to move forward and he dropped to the ground along the short dirt street. If one looked from where he was standing, they could easily make out the large red Hokage building.

Kakashi was gently pushed out of the transport and looked into the eyes of the crowd, hoping to see someone he knew. The majority of the jeers came from the civilian population while many of the shinobi looked equally disgusted with him. He couldn't see Sakura, however, he could see Asuma and Kurenai in the crowds. Their faces were indifferent, but he could see, he could see just how much they thought him a fool.

_'I suppose that no one will ever understand.'_

"Let's move out!" The two began to push him along the dirt path; with little else to do, Kakashi subjected himself to their verbal attacks.

"You traitor!"

"How could you do something like this to Konoha!"

"Who the hell do you think you are!"

"You're just like your useless father!"

That one hit Kakashi right in his heart, he didn't know who said it, but it was enough. A tear fell from the man's eyes as he reflected on his father. In the end, he learned his father's lesson the hard way by losing Obito, yet he was never able to forgive his father because of his death. Now to see the people comparing him to his father, it was too much to bear.

"_Taichou, we are halfway there! The Hokage and her retinue are waiting at the entrance."_ The rooftop squads reported in their location.

"_Roger that, keep your eyes on the crowd, I'm expecting someone to try something."_

"_Roger!"_

Kakashi's revealed eye was dull, it had lost all of its hope. He already knew he was a dead man walking, the Hokage would be overtaken by her councilors. With their militant ways, they would order him executed for what he had done.

_'I hope Naruto makes use of what I was able to give him, if he doesn't, then all this was for nothing.'_

As Kakashi approached the Hokage tower, the activity became more frenzied as more people tried to steal a peek at the criminal. A few objects were thrown at him, immediately batted away by the flanking ANBU. No matter what Kakashi did short of killing a fellow Leaf shinobi, the ANBU would always respect him for his service.

"_Sir, I think I see someone in the crowd moving towards the subject...we may have a problem here."_ Yamato stopped walking and began to look around for the attacker.

"_I don't see him, what does he look like?"_ The ANBU looked around, weary of the danger presented.

"_There he is! Its a boy, he is running down the street!"_ Yamato looked and finally saw the would-be assassin, a genin with a kunai.

The ANBU went through hand signs and captured the boy with a wooden pillar, it wrapped around his stomach and held his arms in place. He struggled against his bonds, futilely of course. Kakashi looked at the boy, no older than his genin team was when he first met them. He was crying but his eyes were full of fiery hate all directed towards him.

"Please take this boy aw-" Yamato was interrupted by a loud yell from the boy, it sounded like he said 'No!'.

"I looked up to you Kakashi-san! I thought you were the coolest ninja in the village, I hoped to have you as my sensei! How could you side with a traitor to the village, how could you pick him over us?" Kakashi's eyes widened in surprise from the boy's accusation.

The crowd grew quiet as they wanted to hear Kakashi's response. The silver-haired Jonin sighed and hung his head low. He didn't want to hurt the kid's feelings, in reality he was quite honored that the boy had him in such high esteem.

"Kid..I don't know what to tell you. I do love this village, contrary to what everyone here believes. If I was to go against Naruto, how could I call myself a sensei? How could I consider myself a believer of the Will of Fire? Whether people will believe what I say or not, it doesn't matter. No matter what, we can't break the bonds of those who have come before, because of those bonds are what make this village STRONG!" The crowd gasped at his fervent speech and gossip followed as the ANBU began to pull Kakashi towards the building.

The boy was quiet, having been left behind by Yamato's entourage. He reflected on what the Jonin said and found that he was right, even if it was hard to see. While he couldn't see it from a teacher's point of view, as a ninja of Konoha, anyone could see that Kakashi did what he did with the village in mind. If he had attacked the Uzu shinobi, war would be upon them and he would betray his friend. With embarrassment and shame in his heart, the boy trudged home to continue to ponder on what Kakashi had to say.

Arriving at the Hokage building, the small group found a few important figures waiting for them outside. Tsunade stood there, her Hokage hat hiding most of her face and obscuring her frown; she had her arms crossed and looked impatient. Sakura and Shizune stood behind her as her entourage, both looked nervous and fidgety with the serious atmosphere. Koharu and Homura were last, their stern scowls were meant to pierce Kakashi with fear when in reality he was not fazed or surprised one bit.

_'No one looks too happy to see me, no surprise.'_ Kakashi thought with a sigh.

"Now that you have finally arrived, we can get down to business!" Homura growled with an angry tone and Koharu nodded in agreement.

Tsunade turned around and began to walk inside of the building. A wave over her shoulder indicated they follow and everyone soon turned and entered. With little choice, Kakashi was dragged inside behind the Hokage and taken to a large meeting room used for important village gatherings.

"Everyone is a bit tense because the Fire Lord is here to oversee the trial." Yamato muttered to his friend Kakashi who's eyes widened upon the thought of the Fire Lord listening to the trial.

_'Crap, if he is here then that doesn't spell anything good for Konoha. I don't like leaving a problem behind if they are going to kill me, I don't want it to affect the village.'_

"Let's go, better to not keep the Daimyo waiting." Tsunade ordered as everyone sat in their assigned seats while the ANBU dragged Kakashi to stand before a large sitting pedestal. This was where Tsunade, Homura, and Koharu would sit and rule over the trial.

Kakashi heard something and looked to his left to see a door open and many samurai and politicians come out. He easily spied the Fire Lord in the crowd, his headdress easily taller than anyone else'. He made to sit down on a cushion off to the side of the trial, not really being involved but not completely inactive either.

The lights dimmed so Kakashi was alone under a spotlight and Tsunade could just barely be seen from the edge of it. The blonde woman was not happy of course, this was something Kakashi was suspecting. It was obvious she was very disappointed in him as was the rest of the village. He had given up trying to persuade people though, he was ready for his final punishment.

"Hatake Kakashi, you have been brought to trial today under the charges of treason against the Leaf Village and acting against the direct order from your Hokage. How do you plead?" Kakashi met her hazel eyes with his black one, it was half-lidded as usual since Kakashi wanted to keep up his mask of indifference for the trial.

"Guilty, Hokage-sama." He knew there was no point in arguing it, he had already given his speech about his reasons a dozen times by now. Tsunade's frown was made even longer when she heard this, as if she was hoping he would try to argue in front of the Daimyo, if there was just the littlest chance for him.

The Hokage glanced to her left to see Homura slowly shake his head negatively. Next she glanced right to see Koharu do the same negative gesture, both condemned Kakashi. Tsunade internally sighed but had no choice but to reveal her choice to those assembled. With one last look to the Fire Lord, she found that the man, usually passive and neutral, was slowly shaking his head in disappointment.

"Very well then, Kakashi Hatake is found guilty of his crimes. Now it is time for the penalty befitting the crimes of such a magnitude. As per law code #092A5, a shinobi caught with treasonous felony is to be sentenced to a public execution. You will be held within the dungeons until the scheduled date is set and from then on you will be moved to a higher-level security area to wait for your execution date...I'm sorry Kakashi." Kakashi just shook his head at her declaration and said nothing, merely staring at the floor with his contempt and disappointment.

"ANBU! Take him to the detainment area, no visitors are allowed. I want a constant guard around him, no less than four of your best." Tsunade ordered, making the special forces present jump into action and salute.

"Yes ma'am!"

"Right!"

The two men who had been moving him returned and entered the spotlight where Kakashi stood. With it being the only light on still, they dragged him into the darkness to not be seen again by those in the room. By the time the lights were brought on, all black ops were gone and Kakashi was gone as well. Sakura wiped a tear from her eye and Tsunade seemed to wobble every other step she took as she left.

The Fire Lord sighed and got up, followed closely by his escorts. He had expected the son of the White Fang to deny the charges, the man had believed that Kakashi was innocent. To say he was surprised, and to an extent disappointed was an understatement. He wondered if the man's father would be supportive or spiteful.

_'We lose another great hero in throes of war. First our jinchuuriki willingly leaves us, next a sannin disappears, and now this; what else could go wrong for Konoha?'_

000

_Uzugakure_

_Uzumaki Compound_

_Inner Estate_

Naruto was still in his home, running late for his duty at the Uzukage tower. He had not slept well the night before as he had unfortunately been stressing over the tension between him and his wife. Mei had yet to say anything major to him other than the necessary small talk; it was as if she was on autopilot. Naruto didn't like it, but he knew better than to push Mei, if she wanted to speak to him about something, she would speak to him about it when she was ready.

"Gotta go, gotta go.." Naruto chanted to himself as he hurriedly placed his robes over his Jonin garb and grabbed the hat on his way out of the bedroom.

Coming out of his room, the blonde Kage maneuvered himself down the stairs and walked into the kitchen area. Mei was nowhere to be found, probably sitting outside with the baby. He opened the refrigerator and found some ramen that he could quickly make. He began to heat up the water and prepare the noodles while he mentally drooled over the sweet aroma.

_'That was one great thing we got out of our trade contracts with the other nations, we can finally import ramen. It was hell to live in Kirigakure without this stuff, Uzu is definitely a paradise in comparison!'_

Naruto grabbed some chopsticks after the few minutes wait and dug into his pork ramen, savoring the flavor. He was seated at the island counter of his kitchen area where both the dining room and kitchen interlocked. The bodyguards assigned to him were sticking to the shadows this morning, a subtle change to their usual tactics.

_'I guess the tension has gotten to them as well, I really hope it all blows over soon. I really don't feel as happy as my usual self with Mei in her moody attitude. It hasn't been this bad since Roshi was first found out about, I thought I was going to lose my head a dozen times back then.'_

"Uzukage-sama, shouldn't you be going soon?" Naruto sighed and looked over his shoulder to find one of the hurricanes revealing themselves to him.

"Yeah, I guess I'm just thinking a little too much." Naruto got up from his seat and threw the container of ramen away.

He adjusted his hat and made it so that he could still see while keeping the sun's glare from his face. He and his six shadows left the house to find Mei sitting on a bench on the porch. She noticed him and waved goodbye before going back to rocking Roshi. He noticed the nice breeze and figured it was good for them both to get a little sun on such a nice day.

"Goodbye Mei. I shouldn't be too long today so maybe we can do something fun when I get off." Naruto suggested to the red head only to have her shake her head.

"Don't worry about me Naruto, just focus on your work. We need a strong leader right now more than ever, don't think about taking off a little early just to be with me, I won't have any of that." She warned, causing the kage to frown.

"But Mei, we really should have a little time to ourselves. Besides, I really think we should talk-" He was interrupted by Mei who obviously didn't want the conversation to go any farther.

"Aren't you late Uzukage-sama? You really should get going, Roshi and I aren't going anywhere so you don't have to worry." Naruto sighed and nodded, leaving the two while his bodyguards followed him out of the inner compound and into the main Uzumaki clan housing district.

Naruto turned around to see the gate close and he immediately became serious. His bodyguards felt his chakra pulse and suddenly a squad of black ops were kneeling before him in the middle of the street. Naruto observed the Anbu he had requested, nodding to himself in confidence with them. The leader, a woman with fiery red hair and the mask of a wild cat, looked up at him with hidden eyes.

"Yes Uzukage-sama?" Naruto smiled as he saw Sugihara was already back on the job even after the painful loss of her teammates.

"Cat, your squad has a special mission from me today. Usually I would have my hurricanes do it but I want them with me for now." The Anbu looked amongst each other, wondering what could be so important that he would allow them the honor of doing it.

"Anything Shodai-sama, we will complete your mission flawlessly. Just tell us the details." Naruto tipped his hat to a passerby in respect as they were watching the interaction before turning back to Sugihara.

"I want you to keep an eye on my wife and child for the day. You see, she has been acting strangely since I arrived and I'm afraid I can't figure out the reason why. Don't bother interacting or showing yourself to her, only do so if she is in danger of any kind. Just observe and alert me of anything wrong, understood?" Sugihara was surprised the kage was actually considering _doubting_ his wife of her loyalty, but she could not argue with the matriarch's strange twist in behavior.

"Also, I want you to ask around the compound and see if you can't find out if anything strange happened while we were in snow. If I can find out something like that, I'm sure I can get everything squared away." Sugihara and her squad nodded, they wouldn't fail the Uzukage.

"Yes sir, we understand our mission. Consider it done." Naruto smiled at how reliable the squad leader was and nodded.

"I also would like to apologize in advance now since I'm bothering you all with my personal problems. I'm just..worried is all. Please take good care of them while I'm gone." Naruto and his men disappeared leaving Sugihara's squad to disperse and take up positions around the inner estate.

Mei had watched Naruto go, with little spoken except for a few harsh parting words. She again berated herself for her unnecessary way of speaking but couldn't take anything back. It was only a matter of time, she told herself, until Naruto found out what she was keeping from him. There was no doubt the monkeys would get into contact with him somehow and then Mei would be seen as the evil one for keeping it from him.

_'What else can I do though? Naruto is so stubborn about everything he does, and at the same time, he is always concerned with his families well being. Maybe if I told him first, it would be better. Later today then, I'll go visit him in the tower.'_

Mei thought to herself, glad she was actually taking the first step in working out the problem. She realized that Naruto was afraid, afraid of her changed personality. In reality, she couldn't really blame him; in retrospect, she had always been quite chipper when around him.

It was his aura of happiness of course that really led her to act that way, but now that he had grown up some, his maturity brought out a new light in her as well. She now felt as if she could speak freely of the world and its problems to Naruto and receive an accurate and thought out reply from him. Really, all she wanted was for her and Naruto to live happily, but with his level of smarts, there was bound to be conflicts between them with differing opinions.

_'He of course would think that the training would be beneficial and throw caution to the wind with the dangers. That is something I cannot stand, I have already lost so much, I don't want to lose him too. Right now though, I am only hurting the both of us by keeping the problem secret. I would actually be happier if we were at least yelling at each other, at least we would be speaking.'_

Mei suddenly felt four presences take up spots around her and she tensed. Looking around with the naked eye, she could see nothing. Of course, being a kage level shinobi and once the Mizukage, Mei was not to be outsmarted by the novices. Feeling for the chakra sources, Mei could make out the location of the first two while the others were too far away for her relatively weak sensor abilities.

_'Anbu black ops, Naruto must have sent them. Why would he do that though? Has my acting really gotten him that concerned? I..don't really feel that well.'_ She suddenly thought as she stood up and took Roshi into the house.

Sugihara had seen how the woman had tensed when they moved into position and knew they were discovered. It was a tough job to spy on someone in the first place, when they were once a kage, all but impossible. The Anbu captain wasn't fazed though, as long as they didn't interfere with her routine, she felt as though the matriarch wouldn't mind.

_'I'm beginning to wonder though if Naruto was expecting something to really happen? I had better keep my eyes peeled.'_

The other member of her team that was on watch duty, a young man with a wolf mask and gray hair, looked at her from his vantage point; a tree. Sugihara had chosen to cloak herself with a simple light bending technique and was crouched on the wall of the inner estate. She uncloaked for a moment to wave a finger at the house and then disappeared again when he nodded.

The Mizukage may not like it, but Sugihara wasn't going to give up that easily.

000

_Uzugakure_

_Uzumaki Compound_

_Anbu Team 3_

_Jakkaru and Kame_

"So..what are we supposed to be doing again?" One of the Anbu asked his partner with the turtle mask, curious of what their mission was.

His partner sighed, bringing a hand to his mask's forehead in frustration. He asked himself why he was partnered with such a person but filed it away for later, instead focusing on the mission given to them by the Uzukage.

"Didn't you listen to the Uzukage? He wants us to interrogate-"

"Speak to." The man flinched by the sudden reproach by his partner; the jackal mask chuckled.

"You spend too much time with the interrogation corps, the Uzukage asked us to interview the citizens not _torture_ them." The turtle mask recoiled again and had his anger spike a bit in annoyance.

"So you knew what he said anyway? Then why would you ask me?" He hissed as they approached one of the houses nearby the inner compound.

"Because it's funny to get you riled up." He responded simply before turning his head from his partner towards the door and knocking gently.

For the fifth time today, the turtle masked man sighed over his partner and crossed his arms in impatience as the person said nothing. Jackal knocked again and was rewarded with a bitter reply of 'I'm coming!', the two exchanged cursory glances before turning back towards the open door. An old man, his red hair long turned gray stood there surveying the two in their uniform.

"Anbu black ops, what do you want?" He asked with a gruff, no-nonsense voice. For being in his sixties, the man looked very fit; he stood straight and had a well built frame and a tough, gritty face that looked quite hostile towards the two shinobi.

The two again exchanged glances before Jackal crossed his arms and began to speak in his usual confident tone.

"Sir, we have been ordered to investigate about anything odd occurring near the Uzukage's home last week. You see, his wife has been acting a bit strange and he is concerned something happened while he was away. Any information you have would be much-" Jackal was interrupted by an annoyed growl by the older man.

"I didn't see anything worth noting, now is this interview done?" Jackal sighed and Turtle decided it was his turn to step up.

"Sir, we don't need your hostility. We are only trying to do our jobs as peacefully as we can to help the Uzukage. Now can you please-" The man laughed, a hollow mocking tone to it that sent both the Anbu into confusion.

"Are you two new to being black ops or what?" He asked with a not so friendly or questioning tone. "'Please', 'Can you?', aren't you supposed to beat me up until I say something, get the information 'at whatever the cost?'. I was once a shinobi you know, back in Kiri. You Anbu are ruthless, I have no reason to speak to you." Jackal and Turtle looked at one another before shrugging.

"Sir, we may be new to the black ops forces, but we are _not_ new to being shinobi. We both respect you for once being a ninja yourself, so surely you can understand why we don't wish to act in such a way that could be viewed as harsh when we don't need to. All we are asking for is your cooperation." Jackal said, not allowing his blunt and easily angered partner to speak; now was the time for subtle diplomacy.

"Ha! You can think of me as an old bastard with a grudge, but whenever I see an animal mask, I want to spit on its wearer. I watched as my family was killed in the Massacres by Kiri Anbu, the only reason I'm not dead is because that bastard Yagura allowed some bloodline shinobi to live if they served in the corps. So please, excuse if I'm impolite to say that I don't want to speak to you." Turtle was about to explode, he took a threatening step towards the man as he breathed heavily; he smirked.

"So it is true, you feel angry don't you? Want to hit me, knowing that the Uzukage wouldn't do a damn thing about it?" Just when Jackal thought the man would continue to pick fun at his partner even more, Turtle surprised them both by taking off his mask and revealing his annoyed face.

"You see this?" He pointed to his face, at first confusing his partner and the man in front of him. "As you can see, we Anbu aren't just 'animal masks' or 'cold killers'. We have faces and we have names, and I think my partner and I would appreciate if you would at least show us the respect of a human being to another. Now are you going to help or should we just speak to your neighbor?" The man recoiled and Jackal thought that Turtle may have pushed him a bit far.

They were both surprised when the man smiled, a real smile.

"Well, I guess Uzu's shinobi have some backbone. At least you are willing to show me your face, those bastards in Kiri were able to hide their emotions behind those masks as if they weren't the real murderers. Take them off and go back to your family as an innocent man, yeah right. I respect you kid, that took a lot of guts." Jackal uncrossed his arms and pressed the man for the real reason they were there.

"So, did anything unusual happen last week?" The man brought a hand to his chin in thought before he suddenly remembered something.

"Oh yes! A lava monkey came through here and entered the compound, you could hear his heavy footfalls a mile away!" The two black ops looked at one another and nodded.

"Thank you sir. That was all we needed to know." The two disappeared and the man watched their blurs head for the main house of the compound.

_'Hm..maybe it's time I finally let go of the old grudge. Maybe, just maybe, Uzu's got something different than Kiri ever did. A heart maybe?'_

000

_Uzumaki Compound_

_Inner Estate_

"I see, so are you sure?" Sugihara asked the two Anbu after they gave her their report.

"Yes ma'am, I don't see any reason why he would lie to us." Turtle noted and Jackal just nodded, Cat took a moment to think and Jackal took the time to ask her something.

"So how's your job coming along captain?" Sugihara looked up and then sighed, hiking a thumb over her shoulder to a window where they could see Mei with the child on a couch.

"She knows we are watching her so nothing really is new. I'm afraid that if the Uzukage expected to learn something by watching her, it isn't going to happen, not today at least. It would probably be best if you two headed out immediately and reported your findings to the Uzukage himself. Once you are done, come back here and join with us in watching." The two nodded and leaped out of the tree where the captain and her subordinate were watching.

"Wait..is she really going to..nice!" She turned her attention back to her partner and found him leaning forward. She looked to see Mei undoing her uniform to breast feed the baby and realized that Snake was a pervert.

"You idiot!" She slapped the back of his head and he fell to the ground with a dull 'thump'. His fall kicked up dirt and made his face ache from slamming into his mask.

000

Mei smirked as the Anbu was slapped out of the tree and fixed her shirt back to normal. She had already fed Roshi before Naruto left, she had been bidding on one of them being a pervert. Looks like she was right and she got a little giggle out of it too. Roshi, seeing his mother laugh, also began to chuckle and they both shared a little laugh at the expense of the Anbu.

000

_Uzugakure_

_Uzukage Tower_

Naruto soon arrived at his building and received the latest stack of papers to read over. His secretary, a kind girl from the Hyo clan with long flowing black hair, was nice enough to bring them up to him personally. He thanked her graciously, knowing the long walk it could be for civilians.

"Let's see here..looks like the council wishes to adjust tariffs with some independent cities within Fire country. Approved, I don't see why not considering they are taking a big risk by trading with us." Naruto said to himself with a nod as he grabbed his stamp and slammed it down onto the paper.

"What's next..ah this is the ordinance I requested. Looks like it passed..just need my signature for final verification." Naruto was speaking of his 'History For All' edict that made sure all teachers would equally include each major and minor clan's history within the school curriculum. Just because they lived in the land of the Uzumaki did not mean that the Hyo and Ranmaru had to forget their traditions and past, they deserved to be known and heard just as much as the history of the Uzumaki.

_'Best part was that I wasn't even pressured by the clan heads, I'm sure they will be happy to find this out.'_ Naruto took out his pen and wrote his name at the bottom of the small form, declaring the law into effect.

Naruto continued like this for another half an hour, just absently reading over the papers and approving or denying them depending on his own views. The hurricanes quietly remained in the shadows, content with just watching the Uzukage work.

It wasn't long until he felt a few chakra presences coming towards his office and felt a slight gust of wind blow through the office. He turned around to the window to find two Anbu seamlessly enter through and close the window, bowing to him.

"Uzukage-sama!" They announced, waiting to be acknowledged in case he was addressing something important upon their arrival.

Naruto smiled and stood up, glad to see something new from the monotony of his work. He got their attention and raised his hand up to indicate them for them to stand. They looked at one another and shrugged before standing face to face with the Uzukage.

"Yes, what can I do for you? You are from Team 3, Sugihara's group from this morning?" The two nodded to his question and relayed their information to Naruto. To say he was surprised was an understatement, however, what confused him is exactly why a lava monkey came to his home and why Mei would act so strangely after a visit from one.

"A lava monkey you say? That is strange indeed, but I wonder, what could it have done to make my wife have such a sour mood?" The two Anbu looked at their leader and thought to come up with ideas.

"Maybe it attacked her or provoked her into a bad mood." Suggested Turtle leading to a hard gaze from his leader, instantly quieting him.

"The lava monkeys are not like that, they have the utmost respect for the people of this island. I hate to say they play favorites but I would even go so far as to claim they love the Uzumaki over all of everyone. I highly doubt they would try and provoke her for some reason." Jackal had been wracking his brain for a while before deciding to speak up.

"Maybe it spoke to her about something sensitive, something she didn't want to hear? I mean, you two are the clan heads of the Uzumaki, if they had a problem or had to inform someone with news then you would be the first ones to speak to right?" Naruto considered it, figuring it sounded about right.

"Yes, that could be the reason. While they haven't contacted us before, I can't say I would be surprised if that was their reason for being there. However, what confuses me is just what would the lava monkey have to say that would make Mei so angry..well I suppose that is for me to figure out right? Can't ask you guys to do everything or else I wouldn't be kage right?" He said jokingly, earning a few chuckles from the two men.

"Thank you for bringing this information to me, I'll go address the problem right away. Have you heard anything about my wife? How is the observation going?" The two looked at each other and then back at Naruto.

"Well, apparently the captain realized that Mei-sama had caught on to our spying and was intentionally doing nothing. There was little to report, sir." Naruto sighed and rubbed his forehead, figuring that something like that would happen with hindsight.

"Yes, I suppose it would be difficult to keep your presence hidden from a former kage. Alright, good job nonetheless. Be sure to pass on my thanks to the captain when you two head back, I'm going to-" Naruto was interrupted when he disappeared in a puff of smoke.

The two Anbu looked at each other confusedly and saw six previously unknown figures appear out of nowhere. They scrambled around the desk and room to try and figure out what just happened to the Uzukage.

_'Hurricanes, aren't they the bodyguards to the Uzukage? Where the hell did he go?'_

"What happened to Uzukage-sama?" Asked one of them out loud, frantic over the sudden disappearance.

"I don't know, it was as if he just up and left. It didn't seem like he was the one to do it either, he was interrupted mid-sentence." Suggested another as the two Anbu scratched their heads in confusion; seeing them still standing there, one of the hurricanes spoke.

"You may head back to your squad, your mission is still top priority to the Uzukage. We will find out where he went, in the meantime if you should need to report to anyone, go to the Anbu General. Understood?" The two nodded and saluted before disappearing in a blur.

_'Uzukage-sama, where did you go?'_

000

_Uzu Island_

_Rain forest  
_

_Haven of Primates_

Naruto reappeared in mid air and landed summarily on his rear end. He had felt a sudden pull on his body while in the office and felt himself get taken somewhere else within the blink of an eye. Looking around, Naruto noticed that he was now within the rain forest; not just that, but within the trees were multiple huts and bridges interconnecting them.

_'Where the hell am I? Is this where the lava monkey populace lives?'_ Naruto wondered to himself as he began to see red fur swinging through the trees or peek out a window.

He suddenly noticed he was not alone and found himself in the middle of a formation of rocks. Looking closer, he noticed they were in some sort of pattern, as if they were a seal of some sort. He saw a few lava monkeys, including Yomara, standing to one side where he could only guess was the start.

"Hello Naruto-sama! I'm glad to see that the reverse summoning was a success, it has been quite some time since we last attempted it!" He spoke to the confused kage, a hearty smile on his features as he was quite glad with the success.

Naruto looked at the other monkeys and saw that they all had three tails and their backs were covered in crimson fur. They had serious a demeanor and they cracked no smiles upon his appearance as the cheerful Yomara did, setting a more serious atmosphere. Naruto stood up and brushed himself off any dirt that had gotten on his white and black robes; he took off his hat and robe and sealed them within a scroll that was tucked in his pocket.

"Hello Yomara, it is good to see you." Naruto said as he made his way over to the small gathering of summons to find out what was going on. "Can I ask why you summoned me though? I wasn't informed of anything special going on.." A gruff voice of one of the crimsonbacks spoke, on one side of his face he had a long scar running from the cheek to the temple meaning he had seen battle before.

"Your female was stubborn so we chose to directly speak to you instead. There is much to discuss with you Uzumaki-sama, come with us." Naruto was confused at first until he realized that they were speaking of Mei and he then figured he could get some answers about what exactly happened. He also took particular note to Yomara's flinch when 'female' was mentioned, leading Naruto to believe he may have been the one to come and see Mei.

They led him to a particularly tall tree and began to climb it, using their bare hands instead of chakra. Naruto chose instead to simply walk on up and followed them to a particularly large hut structure, he figured that it was their leading class met to discuss important happenings.

They led him inside and had him sit on the wooden floor while they took up spots in a circle. Yomara sat next to him while the crimsonback that first addressed him sat at the opposite end of the circle from him.

"So.." Naruto began, wondering what was going on with the small period of awkward silence. The monkeys seemed nervous or apprehensive and he wanted to hurry them along.

"Yomara, tell the human of your first attempt to relay your message. The talk with his female." The elder spoke with a particular harsh tone about his 'female', leading Naruto to believe that the lava monkeys may have not taken what Mei said in stride.

"You see Naruto-sama, I went to speak to you at your house seven sunsets ago. When I arrived, I was informed by Mei-sama that you were not there and I had a conflict with myself whether to speak to her of my message or wait until you came back from your mission. My trusting side got the better of me and I proceeded to tell your female when she became angered and ordered me to leave, to which I followed her order." Naruto's confusion and surprise was evident on his face and the supposed leader of the group spoke up again, a certain knowing tone to his voice.

"It seems you were not told of this meeting by your female, I take it?" Naruto turned to him and shook his head negatively, Mei never mentioned it.

"No, Mei never mentioned that Yomara came to visit. A few of my shinobi found out from neighbors that he had come by but I had no idea why or what it was about." The monkey shook its head in disappointment.

"I see, it was as we expected. After Yomara relayed her reaction to us, we figured she would lie or deceive you to keep our news a secret." Naruto spoke up again, wondering just what the message was.

"What exactly was the message Yomara spoke of? What was it you wanted to tell me?" The monkeys looked at one another before he answered him.

"Well Uzumaki-sama, we have decided it is time for us to help strengthen you with special training. Yomara informed you of it upon your first summoning of him if I remember correctly." Naruto thought back to that time and realized that yes indeed, Yomara had spoken to him of something like that.

"Yes, I remember him saying something about it but he didn't reveal much. I guess you guys were still on the fence about choosing me up until recently?" They nodded their heads in affirmative to his question; it had taken much deliberation to see if Naruto was truly worthy to try the training.

"Yes, that is correct. As it is extremely difficult and very dangerous, we had to be sure that we thought you had a chance of surviving. I'm sure you can figure out why your female reacted now that you know that much, it seems that she was trying to protect you by keeping it a secret." Naruto couldn't believe it, Mei had kept it from him to _protect _him?

_'I mean..I would have at least thought she would speak to me about it. I had no idea she would go to such lengths to keep me out of harm's way. Her emotional distress must have affected her more than she let on..I should go speak with her.'_

"I see..what exactly is this training?" The monkey gave a smile, it was obviously happy he was at least considering it.

"First allow me to introduce myself Uzumaki-sama. I seem to have forgotten my manners, my name is Yomusha and I am the current family leader of the lava monkeys here on Uzu. It has been hectic for us lately as we prepared for your training so we have been a bit stressed. However, I am glad you are at least considering it and I hope that you may be able to speak to your female to further persuade her to the idea. While it is dangerous, your geothermal training will surely give you the edge you need in the coming battles. Those of us in this room can answer the best out of all lava monkeys as we have gone through the first phase of the training ourselves, earning our positions as the crimsonbacks. Please, if you would follow us to the training location we can speak with better context." Yomura got up along with the others and followed Yomusha out of the hut and out through the jungle.

Naruto felt somewhat intimidated by the sheer speed the monkeys were going at because of their excellent vine swinging skills. He pushed himself hard to keep up and saw that they were approaching a large mountain that he had not noticed when he was exploring the island at first.

_'Where are we going? Just what is this training?'_ Naruto had to content himself with knowing his answers would come soon enough; he jumped onto another branch and kept sight of Yomara as the group headed further into the deep foliage.

000

_Uzugakure_

_Uzumaki Compound_

Mei decided that she had waited long enough and had set out to speak to Naruto. She left a kind old Uzumaki woman to look after Roshi while she left to speak to Naruto on her own.

_'Well, not necessarily 'on my own'.'_ She thought with a slight grimace as the four presences were back and stronger than ever, steadily following her as she walked the dirt path through town to the Uzukage's office.

Her thoughts were quite scrambled as she wondered what she would say in response to whatever Naruto would say. It was making her head spin with all the possibilities of what could happen and many of them scared her. What if Naruto was so angry with her that he no longer spoke to her? She even went as far as to think that he would no longer trust her, and it was hurting her inside.

_'Oh..maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all.'_ Of course it was, she reminded herself, it would be even worse if she put it off any longer.

Mei left the Uzumaki compound and saw most of the shinobi were not out on the streets. Strange, she thought, as it was the shinobi district and it was commonly a busy thoroughfare for the workers and shinobi alike. In fact, it was _too_ quiet to be the usual; Mei couldn't hear the usual animal calls from the nearby forest and could just barely register the breeze on her skin. One thought crossed her mind and it made her eyes widen in sudden recognition.

_'An enemy genjutsu?'_ Mei brought her hands up and focused her chakra, immediately disrupting and dispelling the strange illusion.

Even with her hearing back though, the streets were still quite barren. Mei was now taking solace in the fact that the four chakra presences nearby remained, although they seemed to be trapped in the genjutsu as they were no longer moving.

"Who are you? Show yourself!" Mei ordered to the unknown adversary, she would not take kindly to an intruder in her village.

"I see you saw through the genjutsu, you are a clever one. No less should be expected from the Mizukage herself, or should I say, _previous_ Mizukage." Mei looked to her left and saw a figure emerge from the shady alley, a woman with blue hair and a single piercing below her lip.

"Who are you, what do you-" Mei's eyes widened upon seeing the woman's cloak, black with red clouds; she was an Akatsuki member.

_'She is here for Naruto!'_

Reacting with lightning quick speed that even surprised Konan, Mei took out a scroll and brought out her two scimitar swords. She held them up in a defensive manner and dared Konan to take another step, she was further angered by the woman's passive gaze towards her.

"We are not here to fight, we only wish to see Naruto Uzumaki." When she said 'we', Mei felt a sinking in her gut to know that more Akatsuki were there to attack.

_'They just want to 'see' him? I'll bet they do, I won't let them though, not when we have come so far!'_

"I won't let you see my husband, you are only here to take Kyuubi from him and kill him for being a jinchuuriki. If you think you can walk into our village and do what you like, then you are _dead_ wrong!" Another voice spoke up, this time it was masculine and it came from Mei's front, someone was in front of her on the street.

She turned back to see not one but _six_ figures, all wearing Akatsuki robes and having bright orange hair. All of them seemed to have piercings of some sort and had different hairstyles, one was even bald and his head was littered with spikes. Mei was disgusted by them all, but a creeping fear of her situation came to her upon her thoughts on tactics.

"Konan is right, we are not here to fight or disturb your weak village. We are here to see Naruto Uzumaki, jinchuuriki of the Nine Tails. If you do not wish to reveal his location to us, we will find it ourselves. I cannot promise the lives of your villagers though if you will not comply." Mei was angered by his sheer audacity, making orders and threats when _they_ were setting foot on restricted ground.

_'It's seven against one, until the Anbu can wake up, I am on my own.'_ Mei thought with gritted teeth as she readied herself.

"I won't let you take Naruto, you Akatsuki are all alike!" Mei felt more presences appear around her and saw not only the four Anbu from before but what looked to be the entire corps arrive.

They were led by the Anbu General, Ao. Upon feeling somewhat of a disturbance in the shinobi district, Ao came to investigate with what men he could gather and saw that Akatsuki had arrived. He rallied them all together and made the decision to stand by Mei in the defense.

"You will have to go through us as well before you touch the Uzukage!" He bellowed out his challenge, leading the passive Pain to sigh before readying himself for a pointless fight.

_'Why can they not allow a god to do his work? These fools only waste my time.'_

000

_Uzu Island_

_Mountain of Fire_

Naruto was led to the top of the large mountain to find it wasn't a mountain at all, but a dormant volcano! To have no idea of its presence with its size must have meant that it was hidden somehow, no doubt by the lava monkeys. The leader walked over to the edge and waved for Naruto to come by him. He leaned over the edge and saw the magma, it was gently sloshing around, the occasional blast would bellow up and send some lava spittle up towards them.

"This is it Uzumaki-sama, the place where your training will be held. Of course you can see now why the training is so hazardous but I assure you, it will make you stronger than ever before should you succeed. We will do everything in our power to help and guide you through the process." Naruto gulped as he looked at the hot magma but nodded nonetheless, if the monkeys thought he could do it, then he wouldn't want to disappoint them.

"Alright then, first we need to square away your village being without their leader for some time. This training is arduous and it is necessary for you to stay with us for possibly over a month." Yomusha noticed Naruto's face of dread and bowed in apology. "I'm sorry Uzukage-sama, believe me if we could speed up the process or make it more convenient we would but..I suppose the human metaphor 'all good things take time' would fit best here. I hope you understand." Naruto did understand, he just wasn't sure if it was possible.

"I understand, upon my return I will do my best to work out the arrangements." The lava monkeys seemed please with this, their smiled infectious. "But would you please begin explaining to me the process, what are the steps to this training?"

"Of course Uzumaki-sama, first we must begin with-" A loud screech came to their ears and it caused Naruto to flinch in pain.

The monkeys seemed to perk up and become serious again, their eyes glaring at some unforeseen threat.

"It seems our explanation will have to wait Uzumaki-sama, that was one of our lookouts. It means that there is an intruder..in your village." Naruto's eyes widened in fear as he thought of his people in danger, possibly under attack.

_'Who could it be? Akatsuki? Kiri? It doesn't matter, I have to go!'_

"Will you follow me? I would appreciate your strength at my side if we fight." The dozen or so primates nodded and Naruto led them down the slope, his speed faster than anything that could be foreseen.

_'Please..just wait for me to get there. Please be safe, Mei.'_

000

_Land of Tea_

_Small Town_

"Hehe..damn fools. Did you really think you could defeat me?" Sasuke said to the dozens of dead bodies surrounding him, laughing at them even after their death.

He stabbed through one shinobi's chest, piercing his body and stabbing far into the ground. He stopped moving after Sasuke pulled out his blade and the boy shucked the blood off of the blade. He surveyed his handy work one more time before walking over to his prize.

His objective, given to him by Madara, was to capture the Six Tails. He was given free reign on how to get it though, something that pleased him greatly. The last known place of the wanderer was the Land of Tea, as the man was a missing-nin from Kiri Madara had the latest updates from the unaware tracking squads sent after him. Sasuke walked over the bodies of a Kiri Anbu hunter squad, struck down by his blade because they were in his way.

The other bodies were a collection of white and brown vests, Kumo and Iwa shinobi alike. Because of the alliance, both countries had sent a sizable force to work together and take the Six Tails into custody. Sasuke easily tracked their large force and they lead him right to the jinchuuriki.

He allowed them to talk for a time and then got bored. When he got bored, he attacked the two dozen or so shinobi force and completely destroyed them, he was even able to defeat the Jinchuuriki with little problems.

Sasuke picked up Utakata and flung him roughly over his shoulder, having had enough of his chase and the country it was in. He was fine with doing Madara's dirty work, as long as it gave him more power to strike down Naruto and Konoha, that was all he desired.

_'Someday soon Naruto, you and I will meet. This time though, my power will surpass even Madara's and I will kill you both. I will be the master of the Uchiha clan, I will be the last man standing. I will take everything from you and then I will strike you down when you are begging to die.'_

000

Wow, that was some intense writing under pressure. I hope you enjoy the further tension and continuation of the plot.

Review!

Be sure to check out Mikie-From-Ireland's stories, they rock. Especially for all of you red head lovers, he is the expert when it comes to Female Kyuubi x Naruto stories.

See ya!


	27. War Drums Beat, The Answer is Found

Uzumaki Clan's Rebirth

Chapter 27

War Drums Beat, The Answer is Found

**Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO!**

"speaking"

_'thinking'_

"**Jutsu**"

**"Tailed Beast Speak"**

"_Radio Speak"_

NaruxMei

**BLOODLINE WARNING**: Naruto uses **Lava** and **Boil** Release in this story. He has three elements in total because of his bloodlimit, Fire, Water, and Earth.

**Arc: Uzu no Kuni, 6th Elemental Nation!**

Well first I have to say I am surprised by a few reviews seeing as how many of you think a fight will occur. I won't dispel the rumor as yay or nay so you can read on with surprise, but if you remember I at first hinted at Pain coming in peace. And do you really think Naruto is just going to sit and wait to arrive there? I don't know, just read and see!

000

_Uzu Island_

_Forests_

Naruto was running, he was practically punishing his legs to gain speed. From what the monkeys told him, there was an intruder inside _his_ village and he wasn't there to stop them. What about Mei? What about the civilians? He didn't have time to think, only to run.

_'I'm never going to get there in time, I'll have to use Hiraishin!'_

He swatted another branch out of his way and turned to look over his shoulders. The red fur of the primates behind him was easy to spot and he was glad to see they were keeping up. There was no way they could continue as they were and get there in time, so he devised a new plan.

"I'm going on ahead, I'll summon you when I arrive!" He didn't wait for them to acknowledge the order when he disappeared in a flash of gold.

_'I won't let things turn out the way they did with Konoha..this time I'll stop them! Nobody is going to get hurt, that's a promise!'_

Yomara and the others came to a stop, wondering if they heard him right. He said to wait, that he would arrive first and summon them. They glanced amongst one another, ominously awaiting the familiar 'tug' of sorts on their bodies. When it came, they all went at the same time through the summoning to help the Uzumaki against the unknown threat.

Things were not as simple as they had first assumed though as they would soon find out upon their arrival.

000

_Uzugakure_

_Shinobi District_

Mei stiffened her form and tightened her grip on the two scimitars in her hands, the curved handles with leather grips fitting comfortably in her hands. The ANBU around her shifted uncomfortably with the enemies strange stance, he had his two arms up with his palms open and facing them. The other Akatsuki made sure to step back behind him before he unleashed his assault; Konan eyed him wearily.

_'Nagato..you can't really be thinking of using that jutsu so soon? Especially when we aren't even supposed to fight..why can't these people just move?'_

"His chakra is building up in a small sphere around him! He is preparing a technique!" Ao shouted out, his hidden Byakugan was tensely observing the stoic pain as he prepared for his Shinra Tensei.

"We have to stop him!"

"Don't let him use that technique! He could damage the city!" A few ANBU leaped out of the crowd towards the center pain, his eyes narrowed at the untimely arrivals.

_'I'm almost there, just a little more time.'_ He thought as the Asura path moved in front of him and swatted two of the ANBU away with his arms and the last one was to be impaled on the blade attached to his back.

The path smirked as his inertia was going to send him right into the woman, making her unable to dodge. Sugihara gasped as she saw the man's trajectory and attempted to angle her body to avoid a fatal hit to her torso. It was useless though, he had aimed at her perfectly and it was all over. Mei gasped and the other ANBU watched in horror as the man impacted her, sending out fluids everywhere.

Then they noticed it, the fluid was white and _puffy_.

The Asura path scowled as it slid to a stop and checked its blade to find a large log impaled on it instead. Twisting its head around, it found purchase on the roof of a building, a tall blonde man in a Jonin uniform was holding the woman in his arms. He was glaring at the Akatsuki member with nothing but hate reserved for his sight.

"Is that the..Nine Tails?" It questioned quietly and the other pains automatically homed in on where he was looking to observe the new prey.

It was too late though for the woman was already laying safe on the roof and all that was left of the man was a bit of dust kicked up. Mei's heart fluttered at the sight of him but then her stomach sunk when she realized that he was playing right into their hands. Ao, despite the desperate situation was smirking underneath his mask, a true testament to the Uzukage's ability to be able to arrive so quickly and simultaneously rescue the ANBU.

_'I bet he could take all seven of these guys down without us having to do a damn thing. Ah well, guess with us here it'll just be quicker.'_

The two ANBU that were kicked had been sent into buildings on either side of the street. They were just beginning to climb out when a yellow flash appeared next to the Asura path and sent it flying into a building, shaking the foundation and almost collapsing in on itself. As soon as Naruto steadied himself from the kick, he had already bitten his thumb and was going through hand signs.

_'Four seconds since I arrived, gotta time this just right!'_

He slammed his hand onto the ground, meaning the arrival of a summon was imminent. The familiar 'pop' of smoke appearing was heard but one had to look up to see the summons. At least a dozen lava monkeys stood on the rooftops of the buildings on either side of the crowded street. They were looking down on the Akatsuki with heavy glares as they immediately knew who the intruders were. Many of the ANBU switched between watching the Uzukage and the summons, unsure of what either would do next.

"Naruto! Get out of here, they are after the Kyuubi, you don't know-" Mei tried to stop him but it was too late as a large lava wall was suddenly erected between the Uzu forces and their Kage.

Naruto gave a faint smile to the warning as he stared at the ground in front of the Akatsuki; he appreciated his wife's concern but this was _his_ battle. He wouldn't let the villagers get hurt because of what was inside of him, he would deal with the intruders himself. The main path, Deva, slowly lowered its arms and the chakra used for Shinra Tensei disappeared. His ringed purple eyes bore into Naruto's blue ones and he opened his mouth to speak.

"Naruto Uzumaki..I have waited a very long time to see you." He said, the monotone voice somewhat unnerved Naruto but he had to remind himself that these were the ones who killed Jiraiya.

_'I can't underestimate them, and I can't say I'm not worried about the numbers. Seven against one..this is gonna be a stretch!'_

"If you came looking for my tailed beast, sorry, but he's staying in my gut for a long time. You're just going to have to leave now, I won't tolerate your presence here!" Naruto warned, he wasn't in the mood to deal with them after they had trespassed in his village.

Deva didn't seem intimidated in the least, rather his straight face remained as he continued to speak his cryptic words. Nagato was not far from where they were, it would be a short run there if it came to that; if not, they could always drag the jinchuuriki there and make him listen.

"We are here to negotiate, not capture." Naruto's eyes widened at the offer, a diplomatic solution? It seemed too good to be true.

_'No way is this guy being serious. Go through all this trouble to get here and all he wanted to do is talk? He even threatened my shinobi, there is no way he is that conceited.'_

"Diplomacy? Did you offer to _negotiate_ with the other containers before you killed them? Huh?" He spat out his words with venom, feeling the fiery vengeance thinking of Roshi, the Four Tails container.

Pain thought of his words and realized something, the boy had tasted pain before. He had felt it and savored it within his heart, waiting to exploit it and take revenge. A curve came to the usually stoic face of Deva, his thoughts on humans rang true even with the supposedly pure ones.

"You were also Jiraiya-sama's pupil for a time, were you not? As we were both once pupils of him, you should understand that everything I do I only do to find peace. Our methods may differ, but the end result is the end of suffering in the world." Naruto's eyes widened upon hearing that the man in front of him, Jiraiya's _killer_, was in fact once a pupil of his.

"You..were his pupil?..How could you kill him, in cold blood?" Pain shrugged, bringing Naruto's anger to boil again.

"He got in the way of my plan of peace, therefore I had to remove him." Naruto growled as he contemplated charging the man right now, not bothering to listen to what he had to say.

"Pain..please stop this." Naruto turned his attention to the woman, a pale blue haired beauty that had kept quiet up until now; she had moved out in front and was looking at the leader with pleading eyes.

The man seemed to relax for a moment, although he was still unresponsive. She turned back towards him, extending an arm towards Naruto. He stiffened a bit in defense before he watched a piece of her coat come off and fold up like it was paper until it resembled a paper airplane.

"Do you remember when you last encountered one of these?" Naruto began to shake his head no since he couldn't remember, but when she sent it flying towards his face that was when it hit him.

_'Its the same one I found that night all those months ago. It gave me some sort of spoken message, wait a second, her voice sounds familiar..could she be the same one?'_

"That was you, wasn't it? You were trying to tell me about 'seeing me another time' or something right?" Konan nodded, bringing her airplane back and folding it back to her body.

"Contrary to what your shinobi believe, we really only came here to talk. We no longer associate ourselves with Akatsuki so to speak, Pain just has trouble articulating his point in a specific manner." Naruto nodded, not in agreement but just to get her to keep talking since he still wasn't buying it.

"You see, we wished to speak to you about-" She was interrupted by the louder, masculine voice of the Deva path which was glaring at her.

"Quiet Konan, this is not the place to reveal all. Naruto Uzumaki, come with us so that you may see me, the _real _me." Naruto didn't understand what he meant but saw little choice in the matter, if anything it would draw the Akatsuki away from the village and allow them to prepare.

_'I'll be right back, I promise.'_

000

_Uzugakure_

_Shinobi District_

As Naruto disappeared from the scene, the lava wall slowly crumbled. The forces on the other side were surprised to find that the Akatsuki were gone, _along_ with Naruto. Mei's heart sunk to an all time low and she found it hard to breathe. Tears threatened to well up in her eyes as she fell to her knees in pure shock and grief over the situation; her husband, the Uzukage, had just been taken by Akatsuki.

_'Oh my god...I can't believe..we just let them go..Naruto, what happened?'_

"We gotta go after them!"

"They took the Uzukage, we have to go!"

"They won't get away with this!"

A bellowing roar interrupted their protest and everyone looked for its source. They found it in Yomara, the generally polite and calm Lava Monkey. He was disappointed in the humans before him, they were fretting over their Uzukage without knowing the full details.

"You should all calm down, the Uzukage went with them willingly! They are not here to take him, only to talk!" A general look of surprise came over their faces as they scrambled to find out where the Uzukage had gone.

"He shouldn't have gone alone, it could have been a trap!" Ao scowled at the thought that Naruto would be so reckless and trusting, another part of him wanted to believe he knew what he was doing.

"I suggest you all return to your posts, the Uzukage will be back soon. We will see to his safety personally." The Lava Monkey leader, Yomusha, warned the shinobi before he led his group back into the deep forest foliage of the jungle.

Mei was gently picked up by a few ANBU, still in shock and having trouble breathing to move well on her own. The Hurricanes had already been dispatched to the Uzukage's residence to protect Roshi upon the news of Akatsuki and were waiting for her to arrive. Ao watched as they took the frightened woman away, surprised by how the once independent Mizukage could become so weak knowing her husband was in danger; he smiled in thought.

_'She must really love him, there wasn't a man in Kiri that could have made her act that way. Guess Naruto was a blessing from Konoha after all.'_

He looked around to find the ANBU waiting around for orders, some looking at him while others were talking amongst themselves. The ANBU General cleared his throat to get their attention and began issuing his orders.

"We are going to trust the Uzukage on this one! Double the guard postings along the village's border and the rest disperse to your assigned guard posts. These Akatsuki may be friendly, but that doesn't mean we are out of trouble!" Ao made his way to the Uzukage tower to assert his position as temporary leader until Naruto returned, hoping the best for his leader and friend.

Chojuro nodded in affirmation to Ao's orders and jumped away towards the gate with his squad. He felt very bad for Mei, his heart ached to see her in so much pain. Naruto had gotten to her first before he could admit his feelings, but knowing the innocent boy and their Uzumaki genes, Chojuro gladly gave up on his crush. Everything he had seen the two do so far just furthered his point of knowing they loved one another and he would do whatever it took to preserve their dreams of peace, no matter what the future held for him.

Sugihara had recovered quickly after the Uzukage had rescued her, _again_. While she hated to make it a habit, it still warmed her heart to know the Uzukage had rescued her so many times. It furthered her own strength and drive to succeed and do her best for her leader and nation. After she received the general's orders, Sugihara led her squad to their original guard post, the North Western wall section.

While the events that happened in the Shinobi District were well contained, a few Uzu shinobi had noticed the events unfold. For the most they were surprised and concerned with the sudden appearance of Akatsuki but trusted their leader to be safe. The main force of Uzu's shinobi corps was still at home as missions were still a rarity due to their low notoriety.

A few of Naruto's more favored squads were outside of the village and on missions assigned to them by the civilian arm of Uzu's government. But even if the shinobi economy was slow to start, the hard working civilians of Uzu were able to create and export numerous materials and a few products, thanks in no small part to Uzu's rare natural resources.

Things were looking up for Uzu while for the rest of the world, things were only falling farther into darkness.

000

_Konohagakure_

_Underground_

_Cells_

Kakashi was sitting right where they left him, right in the middle of a dirty cell dozens of feet underground. He was still locked in the tight straitjacket and his sharingan was locked away for good, giving him little ability to move around or see anything. It was dark, the only light source was the few candles outside of his cell that allowed him to assess his dreary surroundings with his one eye.

All in all, Kakashi wasn't having a good time in jail.

_'Why don't they just kill me and get it over with? This is torture..'_ He sarcastically commented to himself as he reflected on the few days he had been in the cell, just sitting and waiting.

Meals came and went, still no visitors had yet to come either. The guards who were brave enough to speak to him told him that Tsunade had a time planned to come and speak with him but she never did. At first he made up excuses why she didn't come.

_'She was delayed.'_

_'A meeting must have came up.'_

_'Sakura got into an argument with her.'_

_'Had to go to and do something for the alliance.'_

_'Today just isn't my day.'_

_'She hates me.'_

It only served to lower his morale even farther than he thought possible. It would be sad to see how the stoic and laid back man that was Kakashi Hatake had fallen so far. All for one insignificant ideal that was being treated like dirt by the people of the village. He didn't want to be martyr for something that had no hope from the start, but he wished people would simply listen to what he had to say.

The jingling of keys startled him awake from his musings and had him look towards the cell opening. A few voices could be heard farther down the hallway, where the door was to enter his cell area. One was the gruff male guard that was to be standing there twenty four hours a day, he didn't really like Kakashi for some odd reason. The other was a feminine voice with a strong undertone to it to which Kakashi immediately identified as Tsunade.

_'Well, she's going to start reading my rights probably. How I'm entitled to a few last words before they kill me..geez give me a break.'_

"Kakashi..you look horrible." He noticed that the pig-tailed woman now stood in front of his cell, her hands were on her hips and the common scowl was plaguing her face.

He looked down, somewhat feeling shameful about his appearance before looking back up at her and shrugging. Why bother apologizing anymore? He was going to die anyway.

"Sorry, Hokage-sama. I don't really have much time to beauty myself with my arms in this jacket." He accentuated his point by attempting to move his arms or fingers only for the jacket to tighten around him.

Tsunade sighed and crossed her arms, the once angry face was now softening. Kakashi was surprised by the change and stopped moving to see what she would say next.

"Why did you do it? Give me a straight answer Kakashi." While her visage was soft and forgiving her tone was harsh like a practiced leader's. Despite himself and the dreary situation, Kakashi chuckled upon hearing her question.

"You know Hokage-sama.." He started out saying, fidgeting slightly. "I really am starting to forget the original cause of my actions with how many times that question has been asked. I'll just say what I remember, I stand by my friends and I believe in those that have a destiny to fulfill. Naruto has a destiny to fulfill, it was obvious since before he was born. I want to help in any way I can, as long as I'm not outright attacking this village that I still love very much. All I want for this world from myself is peace Hokage-sama, and I think Naruto is the one to do it." She looked him once over, the hazel eyes wandering his form to try and find any inkling he was lying.

"So you thought you would 'help bring peace to the world' by giving an 18 year old the Three Tailed beast? Where is the logic in that?" He just shook his head at her ignorance and continued.

"We gave him the Nine Tails, _his parents_ gave him that power because they knew..they knew before any of us that he would make use of it one day. He never used it for evil, like the fox surely wanted..no, his parent's trust in him was well founded. It is _us_ who need to learn to trust him, he won't use that Tailed Beast for anything but safe keeping, he is a jinchuuriki himself. What will he do? Hand it over to Akatsuki? Send it on a warpath to Konoha just like Madara did the Nine Tails?" His voice raised in volume as he spoke, his anger getting the better of him; Tsunade's eyes widened at the passion in his speech she had not been expecting that.

_'Kakashi..just what do you see that the rest of us can't?'_ Tsunade asked herself as she prepared to speak again when a runner arrived at the cell door.

"Hokage-sama! We just received news from Kumo, their expedition with Iwa to recover the Six Tails has failed! Akatsuki has taken the jinchuuriki!" Their eyes widened at the fact and Tsunade was quickly advised to head to her office to prepare for an emergency meeting between Kage.

She spared Kakashi one last passing glance before leaving him alone again. The man sighed as he heard the door shut and everything return to the boring monotony he had contented himself with the past few days. His talk with the woman was unenlightening, in fact he didn't expect to receive any response from her. Still, with little else to do in his lonely dirt cell, Kakashi pondered what Tsunade was going to say before the messenger interrupted her.

_'Naruto..where are you now? What are you doing?'_

000

_Uzu Island_

_Nagato's Hideaway_

It wasn't long until the party of eight arrived at a small mountain area where a natural cave had formed. Naruto noted with intrigue its relative height compared to sea level and wondered to himself why Pain chose such a strange spot to set up. The seven Akatsuki passed him by at the cave's entrance, silently beckoning him farther in. With little choice, Naruto pressed on until he arrived in a small chamber where the six pains stood in front of a figure.

He couldn't make out the man but could tell that he wasn't normal looking. The man was easily taller than the pains that stood in front of him, somewhat blocking Naruto's view. His red hair was a dark crimson and fell over his right eye obscuring the ringed purple iris. Naruto's eyes widened when he looked back at the one revealed eye, it was the same as pain's. Was this man what they meant by the _'real me_'?

"Naruto Uzumaki, I finally see you face to face." His raspy voice sent shivers down Naruto's spine while his unmoving gaze on Naruto made him feel small.

"I won't bother asking how you know my name since it is obvious and I will just get straight to the point, what do you want here?" The pains shuffled to either side of the chamber to reveal the man in his entirety, locked to some machine and his skeleton thin body revealed to be jabbed into by metal rods of some sort.

Naruto almost flinched and visibly recoiled at the sight of his revealed form, how could anyone allow themselves to fall so far? Was it all for his ambitions? Why would he allow himself to waste away? The man coughed and Naruto thought some of the spittle looked ruby red like blood but said nothing, already he could tell the man was dying.

"Straight to the point..that is something I can appreciate. As Konan has already told you, we no longer align ourselves with Akatsuki, the ideals of what we started with have changed. I can no longer pursue their goals when they hypocritically bring the one who caused me the greatest pain of my life into our organization." Naruto wracked his brain for who he could be speaking of when it hit him, Danzo?

"Do you mean Danzo of the Leaf?" The Deva path automatically curled its fists in anger and Konan shifted uncomfortably, confirming Naruto's answer. "I see...I'm sorry." If he acknowledged the apology, he at first made no attempt to show it.

"Your apologies.." He coughed again and took a deep, raspy breathe. "Will do nothing to ease our pain, only waste more time which I do not have. My name is Nagato and I..have come here to tell you a few things. You will listen and perhaps you will learn something, maybe you can even fulfill my wish by answering a question for me that even Jiraiya-sensei could not answer." Naruto took a moment to register what had been said and was shocked to hear the honorific Nagato used with Jiraiya's name.

"Wait..Jiraiya-sensei? That means that you were.." Nagato nodded slowly in assent to his unasked question.

"Yes, Konan and I were once pupils of Jiraiya. As was our friend, Yahiko." Naruto saw the blue haired woman Konan again cringe at the name of Yahiko and guessed that it was a sore spot.

"We grew up in Amegakure, orphaned by a war that was neither ours to begin with nor our wish for to continue. The war between Konoha, Iwa, and Suna only destroyed our lives and led us to feel great pain. Have you contemplated pain before? Why it happens, what causes a human to react to it and how to stop it?" Naruto just shook his head, he had never paid any attention to the feeling that he had come to know well.

"No..having been a jinchuuriki my life growing up was harsh and I constantly felt pain, both mentally and physically. I never knew my parents though..so I suppose that in the way of feeling pain that was a blessing in disguise, am I right?" Nagato seemed surprised by his answer but nodded nonetheless.

"Yes..I watched my parent's killed right before my very eyes by two Konoha shinobi. That was the day I unlocked my Rinnegan and the day I became a war orphan, I killed the shinobi with my powers without realizing it. With nothing left in my village, I buried my parents and left home with no goal but to survive. I stumbled around for days with nothing but a raincoat and supplies taken from home; I even came across a dog that I at first found as a nuisance but soon found a companion in. When I ran out of food, I felt as though there was nothing left to do but die as I collapsed onto the muddy ground in the rain. That was when Konan found me..that was when I met my first friends." Naruto glanced towards the woman to find her staring at Naruto, gauging his reaction.

"Yahiko was a great dreamer, he had hopes for the world that I first thought unattainable. He wanted to stop the war, just like we all did, but his dreams did not stop there. To stop the war, he believed it was necessary to become god and rule the world and as we traveled together..I began to believe it too. One day, we were stumbling through a rocky crevice when a rain of explosive tags hit near us and scattered our party. My dog unfortunately was hit and killed and we found the combatants to be none other than the legendary Sannin versus the tyrant of Ame, Hanzo." Naruto was surprised to hear of this, realization dawned on him as he realized that the war was the Second Great Shinobi War.

"We waited until after the battle to approach the three, Yahiko of course went first. I warned him, told him not to trust Konoha shinobi, but he said we had little choice. The pale one, Orochimaru at first threatened to kill us; he spoke of it as 'ending our pitiful suffering'. Jiraiya was the one to support us though and promised to stay with us for a while, saying it was the least he could do. With that in mind, we soon became a family and lived together in a modest home. It was one of the few times I actually had felt, happy, in the right place." Naruto continued to listen to the man's past, the history of his pain.

Nagato took a moment to breathe before continuing, his voice becoming strong again.

"After Yahiko was threatened by a shinobi and almost killed, Jiraiya-sensei taught us ninjutsu. All three of us excelled at it, and it was not long before he felt it was time for him to go. In the process of living with us, our master had been writing a book. It was called the _The Tale of the Utterly Gutsy Shinobi_, and it was our teacher's attempt at explaining the endless cycle of hatred and a way to stop it. He never completed it, but I thought maybe, I could be the one in the book and be the one to finish the final chapter. After he left, we began to gather a group of followers with similar ideals of peace, we were the Ame Gang." Naruto immediately recognized the book Nagato spoke of, actually having a copy of it in his Uzu home's library; he dared not to interrupt the man as he continued to tell his life story.

"With rising power brought enemies and suspicion, the major one being Hanzo. He was a paranoid man, frightful of any who seemed close to wresting control away from him. When he found out about our group's rising popularity, he had no choice but to recognize us. While he extended a hand to shake in peace, he brought outside help, Konoha's root forces to help him destroy us. He promised to seek peace, even allowing Yahiko to be the lead ambassador in the talks with the major nations. We were to meet at a designated time the next day, only of which Yahiko and I could go to. As we soon learned though..it was a trap." Naruto already didn't like the sound of where the story was going, and he _definitely _did not like this Hanzo that Nagato spoke of.

"We were at the meeting spot where on a higher platform of rock stood Hanzo, looking down on us with hate. To either side of him was either his loyal Ame shinobi or Root ANBU soldiers, ready to follow his orders to the letter. The worst of it though..for both me and Yahiko was seeing Konan captured right next to the Ame village leader. He threatened us, told us that we were threats to his power and that the only way he would let her go was if I killed Yahiko with my own hands, he even threw a kunai at my feet. I was shocked, unmoving in disbelief." Naruto again looked at Konan to see her looking at the ground in a mixture of shame and remembrance, he realized that this was Nagato's source of greatest pain.

"With trembling hands, I picked up the kunai and looked at my long time friend, not knowing what to do. When I looked into his eyes, I could see a fiery determination only Yahiko, a born leader could possess. He knew exactly what he had to do, even if he would not tell me. With an authoritative yet desperate tone, he yelled at me to kill him to save Konan. I was further confused by Konan's pleas to run away and forget about her, I didn't know what to do!" His voice raised a bit too much and he coughed more, blood coming to the edge of his lips and threatening to spill; Konan turned towards him in concern.

"Nagato, please calm down! You can't over exert yourself!" The red haired man looked at her and merely shook his head, turning his attention back to Naruto.

"I know Konan, but the boy needs to hear this. I want to share my pain..so he may know and reflect what it truly means." She quieted down after that, albeit reluctantly.

"Yahiko always had a plan, and when he saw that I would do nothing, he took matters into his own hands. With a sudden leap towards me, he grabbed my wrist that held the kunai and plunged it deep into his chest, effectively killing himself. He whispered a few last words to me, telling me to get Konan and get away, that I was meant to do something great with my special eyes. Hanzo then attempted to betray us a second time, launching an attack on me as I held my dying friend. I was able to avoid his trap and rescue Konan, killing every last one of them except for Hanzo himself. That..is my greatest source of pain. Now that you know what results from the current cycle, can you tell me how to end it?" Naruto was blown away by the question, he had never given it much thought at all.

He took a moment to reflect on himself, thinking of the cycle and what it meant to him. At first, he had foolishly believed that killing Madara, seemingly the big villain in all of this, would just magically make everything go away. He knew that was wrong though, there was no simple solution like that. Killing Madara would only bring rise to another Madara, another enemy.

That was when he remembered two things that had happened to him that could help solve the puzzle. He remembered the strange encounter he had with the vault room within his estate, the answer over war was _love_. Love came with understanding and understanding led to acceptance. The second was the name of the main character of the novel both Nagato and Naruto had read, it was _his _name, Naruto.

"Before I answer, may I guess yours?" Nagato was surprised that the boy had even come up with one in such a short amount of time but nodded anyways. "You believe that through inflicting pain on the world, they will come to fear it and do away with anything that leads to death or loss." Nagato nodded, although he wasn't too impressed with how obvious it was; his moniker was 'Pain'.

"My answer is that _I_ will be the one to break the cycle! The name of the main character of Jiraiya's book, what was it?" Nagato thought for a moment before realization came to him, the word was whispered from his mouth with uncertainty, as if it was a fact he had overlooked.

"Naruto.." He nodded and continued on.

"Jiraiya said that it was up to one of his apprentices to find the cycle of hate and end it. My father was unable to find the answer, and you yourself have given in to any alternatives in place of false peace. My answer to it..is love." All those present had their eyes widen in surprise at his simple answer, one that had surprised Nagato.

"Love..but how can love stop hate? It will only bring hatred when the love is replaced with pain." Naruto shook his head slowly in condescension.

"No..true love can open your eyes to understanding and enlightenment. With that understanding of another person, no matter who they are, comes acceptance and that becomes peace. What is left to do is to spread this, not only through words but through action as well. We cannot dwell here in caves while our enemies seek to destroy our advantage. Nagato..what will you do now?" As the tables were turned on him by the blonde kage in front of him, Nagato could only stutter in response.

"I.."

000

_Kirigakure_

_Gates_

_'It is time..I will finally have my time, my revenge. There is no more jinchuuriki, no Uzumaki, no Senju to get in my way. Today, I will finally crush the Leaf with my own power.'_

Madara stood at the gates of the city that had once been his now once again under his command. Dozens of shinobi stood by in attention while Sasuke himself stood side by side with Madara, his sharingan eyes glowing red in the dark misty rain. The dozens of shinobi were not for a war, they would be annihilated in an instant, no, they were to carry Madara's real forces to the battlefield.

Four pots of varying sizes were on carts that were being towed by the shinobi. It was not that they were particularly large or heavy, it was the contents that made Madara nervously excited. Four tailed beasts were contained in the pots, ready for transport and covered in seals to prevent them from escaping until the final moment he was ready to begin his conquest of the Land of Fire.

_'I will finally have my revenge. It is a wonderful day..'_

"Sasuke, has Danzo done as I asked?" The boy turned and glared at his 'master', nodding with a defiant look on his face.

"Yeah, he has sent his men to delay the Kage at their summit. Konoha will be defenseless when we strike." Madara chuckled, it turned into an evil cackle quickly as he couldn't control the butterflies in his stomach just thinking of the destruction he would wreak upon his old home.

"Good..." He purred out, his sharingan twirled in excitement. "Do you remember _your_ orders?" At this Sasuke smirked, hefting his sword and idly feeling the sharpened tip with his wandering fingers.

"Keep the Uzumaki busy..of course I do." The masked man looked at his apprentice with a hidden smirk, one that could not be seen by the boy.

"Good Sasuke..make sure that Naruto Uzumaki or his people do not interfere with Konoha. They defeated me once as I defeated them..I will not allow them to take another victory. By any means necessary, you will _break_ Naruto, do you understand?" The rain ran down Sasuke's smirking face and Madara saw the undying look of pure happiness on the boy's visage; making him wonder if the boy had gone insane.

"I will make him beg to die as I butcher his family in front of his eyes. With my powerful eyes and Uchiha blood, NOTHING CAN STOP ME! HAHAHAHAHA!" Madara nodded and sent the boy off, hoping he would provide a good distraction.

_'This is your only use to me Sasuke, as a mere puppet under my control. Hopefully you won't die too soon, I need you to stay alive just long enough.'_ Madara looked over his shoulder and waved for the men to follow him towards the docks, it was time to begin the Fourth Shinobi War.

000

Wow..I don't know what to say. All I can say is, it is coming down to the wire. Lot of shits about to go down and a lot of people are going to be threatened, killed, and shit is going to blow up. Hang onto your hats, cause it is going to be a bumpy ride.


	28. A Pained God Protects, One Last Goodbye!

Uzumaki Clan's Rebirth

Chapter 28

A Pained God Protects, One Last Goodbye!

**Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO!**

"speaking"

_'thinking'_

"**Jutsu**"

**"Tailed Beast Speak"**

"_Radio Speak"_

NaruxMei

**BLOODLINE WARNING**: Naruto uses **Lava** and **Boil** Release in this story. He has three elements in total because of his bloodlimit, Fire, Water, and Earth.

**Arc: Uzu no Kuni, 6th Elemental Nation!**

Alright everyone, I have an author note for you to read, and boy is it an important and probably a long one. First, let me just thank you for reading this chapter of Uzumaki Clan's Rebirth, I appreciate that you are reading, or rereading the chapter for your own personal enjoyment as that is what it is intended for. Next I would like to thank you for taking time out of your viewing pleasure to read the author's note, the one way an author can communicate with his readers, which pisses me off, because author note chapters are not allowed for some reason.

Anyway, lets begin with the main part of this: The poll results!

So, we have gotten all four polls done, and I would like to thank everyone for the excellent turnout. Sure it kind of tapered off after the first poll, over 400 down to 69 for the last poll, but it was still a great influx. In reality, the more votes that were recorded was better for you guys and not only me because this is practically you guys molding the general 'set' of a story with your own voting power. Yes there were some complaints, but for the most part everyone I think was satisfied with it seeing as how authors rarely do this.

1st Poll: What Village do you prefer Naruto to belong in?

Winner: Yukigakure

Runner ups: Kirigakure followed by Konohagakure

This one was a surprise for me, I really did not expect such a rare and really not talked about village to show up. At first I saw Kiri rising above it and I was like 'Oh crap, I have to write another story in Kiri, HOW BORING!' but then Yuki solidified its lead easily with over 100 votes. This means of course that Naruto will be a shinobi of Yukigakure located on the island of Spring/Snow. I like this though because it is entertaining and of course rare!

2nd Poll: What kind of abilities do you prefer with your Naruto?

Winner: Fuinjutsu Master

Runner ups: Bloodline (Affinities) followed closely by Genjutsu Master

This was probably the most entertaining thread to vote in as it really based around the action part of the story, how Naruto would fight! I'll tell you the truth, I was also not expecting Fuinjutsu, or Sealing for those of you who do not know, to win but it did! I guess people want Naruto to be like his good old dad, except better of course!

How this will work is, while Naruto will mainly fight with seals and ninjutsu, he will have an advanced nature, but not through bloodline and he will also use genjutsu. He will of course not use them as his main attacks, but they will be present.

3rd Poll: How do you prefer your Naruto?

Winner: Smart and Careful

Runner ups: Not even worth mentioning the other two, they pale in comparison although it is worth it to note that people did vote for a dumb Naruto and also for an evil Naruto. Interesting tastes.

This one was definitely the most argued over in the forums, which I appreciate it since you all have your own views and opinions on your preferred Naruto over the canon one. I really did expect this one to win, I mean it is a great medium considering the other two extremes. I'm sorry but when I see dark themes like Naruto butchering an entire village and laughing maniacally about it, I put my brain on rewind and have to ask myself '..what?'.

As far as his dumb and nice personality goes in canon, sure he has gotten more serious but still, he still has a low intelligence which in itself is stupid. I see the appeal since an excitable and powerful yet dim-witted main character is common in manga, but it just irks me to see how stupid he can be.

But getting back to the poll, his personality will be about the same as the winner. He will be careful and cool headed on the battlefield, although quite cold and usually unforgiving to an enemy. Off the battlefield and at home, he will really open up to his friends and loved ones. Just like his father, if I may note.

4th Poll: Which pairing choice would you have Naruto with?

Winner: Koyuki Kazahana

Runner ups: Both, with Fubuki as primary ringing in at 7 votes.

Okay, once again I was not surprised by this one as it is the sad truth of 'character exposure'. Even though both only appear in a movie, Koyuki unfortunately had more screen time, so many don't feel confident about a story with Fubuki as the leading woman. I like both, that is why I, the outspoken hater of Harem relationships, added the 'Both' choice for those who just couldn't decide between the two like me.

It isn't about me thinking Naruto 'deserves both because he needs/craves a lot of love than a normal person' because no matter how needy Naruto was, he would never go as far as two have two or more girls hanging off of his arm to have sex with whenever. No, Naruto I'm sure could love more than one girl and just have trouble choosing, which is a viable path that could happen in the manga if Kishimoto decides for Naruto to reflect on his feelings for Hinata and Sakura.

Anyway, while Koyuki is the chosen pairing, I will leave it open for any of those who wish to change their minds after Fubuki is introduced. Even if she isn't the main pairing, she is actually quite a major character in my story, and the sad truth is, Naruto has a much better chance of having a happy and easy relationship with her than Koyuki.

Why? Simple, Koyuki is a Daimyo and he is a shinobi; they don't live in the same city and are separated by great distances 90% of the time. This is how it is for any in this situation, for example for gundam lovers, gundam seed destiny, Athrun and Cagalli were constantly separated and even when they were together, Athrun was the dutiful bodyguard while Cagalli was the serious leader of her country, no time for romance.

The relationship will be similar in this story, Naruto will often have to find creative ways to get to have time with Koyuki, but being the mischievous and relatively lazy person she is, I can see Koyuki ditching her job every once in a while. Still though, I wouldn't expect too much romance as in every chapter.

When the story is released, perhaps you will change your mind about Fubuki and say 'Huh, well maybe Naruto could have both, Fubuki isn't so bad with this personality as it is believable' or maybe you will stick by Koyuki and Koyuki only.

Needless to say, I think a lot of people will anticipate this story for what has some have considered to be my calling card, a **rare** **pairing** with a totally** original **and **unique** **storyline**.

For now, it has no real name but I have been experimenting around with one.

Expect _Destiny of Snow_ to be released..alongside _The Blonde Uchiha_ some time later this year after my current stories are done.

Wow, that was a lot of writing, but oh wait, there's more! Sorry about the extremely long author's note, but I have two important topics to speak about.

The next one will end on a sad but hopeful note because I believe you will all understand and support the decision. As you know, I am currently writing three stories, _Uzumaki Clan's Rebirth_, _Namikaze's Homecoming_, and _Feet First Sir!_. However, I am taking too long to write each chapter, I know that, you know that, so I have come up with a drastic but favorable solution to it.

I will hold off writing _Namikaze's Homecoming_ and _Feet First Sir!_'s next chapters until I _completely_ finish _Uzumaki Clan's Rebirth_. What that means is, everything up until the final letter of the epilogue will be typed, checked, beta checked, uploaded, and made as a chapter before I even open my other stories. Yes, cry your tears, you will be without these beloved stories for quite some time, but there are other stories on this site, and I will also be updating Uzumaki Clan's Rebirth (hopefully :P) much quicker than I am now and have it finished quickly.

Thank you for your support and understanding, and I know many of you will complain, it is the evident nature of humans, but I want to thank the understanding and patient ones who not only read this giant author's note but also understand and will defend my action of holding off my other stories. I am not discontinuing or placing anything up for adoption, I am only prioritizing the use of my typing fingers to a more worthwhile goal that will in the end make everyone more happy.

Thank you for reading this author's note and please enjoy Uzumaki Clan's Rebirth's Chapter 28!

000

_Uzu Island_

_Nagato's Hideaway_

"I..can't believe it." Nagato expressed his disbelief as the blonde Kage in front of him waited for his response; in all honesty he had never considered that alternative.

"You say that through love..that can bring understanding? But..I killed _our_ sensei, why don't you hate me?" Naruto took a few steps forward and looked Nagato right in the eyes, a fiery determination emanated from the blue orbs.

"I may never forgive you for what you have done to Jiraiya..but I can give you a clean slate because I understand what brought you to doing what you did. I _understand _what you did and I _accept_ it, I am willing to give up on some pointless quest of revenge if it means that I can spread peace for that is my wish for the future of this world not only for me but for my children and the people of this world as a whole." Nagato again was at a loss for words as the boy reinforced his fact of peace by telling him that he understood his murder and yet he accepted it because it was done for the good of all; he had _listened_ where others had turned deaf ears.

_'This boy..maybe I can believe in him..even if I can no longer believe in myself.'_

"I..see now." Konan shifted her view to Nagato, shock etched into her visage as she saw one thing she thought she would never see again; Nagato was _smiling_! "Thank you Naruto Uzumaki..for giving me something to believe in again."

Naruto smiled and put out his hand, one of which the frail man could unfortunately not shake with his own; instead the Deva path, the one made from his dear friend Yahiko, walked forward and took Naruto's sign of peace with a smile of its own.

"Naruto Uzumaki." Naruto was surprised when Pain began to talk and saw that Nagato was speaking in tandem with it through their link. "What would you have Pain do to further this option of peace?"

Naruto frowned and took back his hand, instead now using it to scratch his head. In truth, while they had the idea, Naruto did not yet know how to spread it. With the world in a state of suspicion and fear and with war looming over the horizon, it would be difficult to spread the word of peace. Naruto then realized that no matter how much understanding he could give to one person, Madara and Sasuke were lost causes.

While he hated to admit it, even he could not deny that the corruption of the Uchiha was absolute save for Itachi, the one man that was able to escape the self destruction destiny by dedicating his life to his brother; the sad irony was that he was killed by that same brother who sought only power.

"I hate to sound contradictory Nagato, but I'm afraid we might not be able to spare Madara or Sasuke. Both have allowed themselves to go too far and have allowed evil to swallow their hearts and minds, I fear that only an intervention by death itself could bring them down from their pedestals." The man with the ringed eyes pondered this, nodding to himself as he had also observed both of their actions as going too far.

"We must bring an end to them, but even with my Rinnegan, I am no match for Madara Uchiha. He has admitted to me himself that he has lost much power from his glory days, however, his skill is not one to be underestimated. Sasuke Uchiha though..I have seen him from afar and I believe that it is time that we put an end to him. I can do this myself, his power has not yet surpassed my own and my time will give me the chance to give one last act of god from this god." Naruto bit his lip in thought, while he had wished to be the one to kill Sasuke as he felt it was only right, he could not deny Nagato's wish to do one last act of good for the world; to this end, he nodded in assent to the man's hidden request.

"As you believe in me Nagato, I shall believe in you. With your last act as god, you can redeem one man with death and save the rest of the world from his future sins, thank you for accepting the task. I will admit to wishing to be the one to do it myself but..as I'm sure as you can tell I have much to do myself." Nagato smiled and nodded, the boy had great potential and it was he who had the only hope to stop Madara; he turned to Konan who felt confused over what to do with herself.

"Konan..I believe this is where we part ways. Sasuke will come here, that much I am sure of, so my time will be near. I have one last wish I want you to fulfill for me." Konan's eye widened in shock to hear words she never thought would be spoken; this would be the final place where all three Ame Orphans would be?

"No! I will fight with you, it was Yahiko's-" His dead stare pierced her amber eyes, silencing her desperate plea; the crimson haired man slowly shook his head.

"No Konan, Yahiko would want _you_ to live on and help bring peace to the world. I will lend my final hand to helping Naruto's peace and both Yahiko and I expect you to do the same.." He coughed again, blood appeared on his lower lip as it trickled from within his body. "Please Konan..grant my final wish as the angel of god you are." Naruto was shocked to watch as the strong woman's eyes began to tear up, the fact of separation was eating away at her and the thought of her losing another friend must have been too much.

"Yes..I will Nagato..what is it?" The man coughed again before looking at the mouth of the cave; a storm was beginning to brew on the tropical island.

"Head for Amegakure and rouse the people..tell them..tell them their god finally has found something to fight for. You must help Naruto bring peace to the world, I.._we_ are counting on you." He accentuated his point by having the Deva path smile, a smile that made Konan briefly replace the corpse's face with Yahiko's; a sudden flash of resemblance brought on by the similar words that would have been spoken by their friend.

Naruto watched as Konan's tears spilled and the edges of her mouth curved in a smile, not a sad one, but a truly understanding and happy one despite her tears. She nodded and walked forward, laying a hand on Nagato's shoulder, unspoken words were said between them with their eyes before Konan took her hand back and walked towards Deva.

While he was a mere puppet to Nagato's control, Konan let herself be fooled again with that flash of resemblance with Yahiko by hugging the body that was once her friend's for what could be the last time. It brought its arms around her and hugged back, a final goodbye between two old friends.

"Goodbye Nagato, Yahiko." Both men in question nodded as she turned to leave, only to take a longing glance towards Naruto who had remained rooted to his spot during their goodbyes. "Naruto Uzumaki..this angel will fight beside you from now on. I will go rally the people of Ame and come back here, for when the final battle of this war is brought, goodbye." With her final words said, Konan ran out of the cave and disappeared into the roaring maelstrom of wind and rain that was taking place in the early evening hours.

Naruto shared a glance to Nagato to see what he would do now, a question forming in his mind. Nagato sensed it coming and looked to the boy with a bored yet inquisitive face encouraging him to continue.

"What is it boy?" Naruto crossed his arms over his chest and frowned, concerned with something he heard Nagato say earlier.

"You said Sasuke would come here, what did you mean by that?" Nagato's eyes narrowed then widened as he sought to and accomplished his remembering of the phrase; a frown set on his features as he realized the boy's legitimate concerns on the matter.

"Yes, Sasuke Uchiha will come here, to Uzu. I expected that you knew this would happen Naruto, it should come as no surprise since your last encounter with him. The boy wants to make you suffer and following Madara's train of thought what better way to get you out of the way than by sending such a fighter as Sasuke to slow you down. It may be fate that you would fight him, but as a god, I will change that fate so that I may relinquish his curse on this world. I will protect you, your family, and your people of this island with all seven of my bodies, including this one." Naruto was surprised by the seriousness in his tone and allowed a reassuring smile to creep onto his features, he believed in Nagato.

"That sounds like a plan, I have a few things to do in the village but then after that, I will have to leave for quite some time. I hate to do it in such a hectic time, but there is some training I must attend to if I wish to defeat Madara and his plans, will you be alright if I leave you here?" Naruto explained and Nagato nodded in assent.

"Yes, it will be best if I remain here; to actively control these bodies I must be at a high altitude for my chakra signals to reach them. If I get any closer to your village, I will have trouble controlling all of the paths and my effectiveness will lower. I will move all six to an area near your village where I am sure he will start first to find you." Naruto nodded and looked at the man's six 'paths' as he called them; all were staring at him with the same eyes and it frightened him a bit.

Seeing the familiar and unsettling view of the Akatsuki robes, Naruto realized his next question.

"Would it be alright if I could ask that you remove the Akatsuki robes from the Pains? I know that you have probably worn them for a long time but..from the reception you received in the city I'm sure you can notice how people can react to the sight of them." Nagato seemed to ponder this and shrugged; Naruto watched as the Pains removed their robes leaving them only in their pants and sandals.

Naruto uncharacteristically blushed at the sight of the single female body, her perky breasts somehow caught his attention and he looked away. It was unfortunate that he was still affected by such a simple thing, but it was in his originally timid nature that it stemmed from.

"Is something the matter, Naruto-sama?" Naruto heard the toneless female Pain speak and looked at her, specifically her face and shook his head.

"No..I was just thinking that if you wanted to I could supply you with vests to put on over your torsos. Just for..you know like from protection against the elements?" Naruto stuttered out, making the last part form as a question when he realized they were just dead bodies with no feelings.

"But we have no feeling, we require no clothing. We only wear robes and our other clothing for modesty..but if you wish to supply us with flak vests we can use them as a deterrent during our future battle." The Deva path noted and Naruto silently thanked Nagato for agreeing with him before he took out a scroll from the pocket of his own flak vest and used it to to reveal five crimson vests of Uzu.

"You are right to only give us five, the Asura path would not be able to wear one due to his weaponry." The Deva path noted as the five other Pains accepted the vests before quickly putting them on and zipping them up.

Naruto felt weird to admit it, but it did seem interesting to have them in Uzu uniform; it was almost as if they were his shinobi. Thankful that that last annoyance was out of the way, Naruto made his way to the mouth of the cave while the six Pains followed closely behind. He spared a final glance towards Nagato and waved goodbye and smiled to the man's simple nod in return.

"Goodbye Naruto Uzumaki, be sure to spread your word of peace and save the world from the path of hatred." Naruto leaped out of the cave and the paths fell into step behind him as he made his way back to the hidden village.

000

Yomusha watched as Naruto left the cave with the Pains, all standing and intact, without any fuss at all. He smiled with the other primates as they knew their trust in Naruto was well placed and he had one the battle with Akatsuki whether it was through fists or words. Without words, the monkeys followed Naruto back through the forest to his home so that they could collect him for the training.

It could be delayed no longer, Naruto's Lava training would have to begin now!

000

_Uzugakure_

_Uzumaki Compound_

_Uzukage's Inner Estate_

Mei sat on the porch bench, Roshi in her arms, watching the rain endlessly pour in front of them. Mei looked up into the sky and noted the darkening of it, leading the grimace already planted on her face to grow deeper. She was growing progressively more worried as no sign of Naruto was in sight; she was sure their home would be the first place he would head.

_'What if he was really defeated? What if the monkey's lied about him being safe? I have never felt so..helpless until now. Was this what it felt like for Mother? She had the power to defend herself against those people but she didn't..feeling helpless against them as she was beaten down. If Akatsuki's goal was to weaken my resolve with this meeting..they have done a great job.'_

As the rain seemed to intensify to an all time high, Mei caught movement in the corner of her eye. The gate slowly opened and there he stood, wet and soaked but _safe_; Naruto had returned just like she had hoped. She wanted to run to him, hug him, kiss him, hold him but with Roshi and the rain she was unable to do anything but stand and wait at the first step of the porch with a relieved smile gracing her features.

Naruto smiled at the sight of her, Mei Uzumaki, holding his child and waiting for him to come home. Even with their disagreement, she still loved him as much as he loved her and nothing would ever change that. Pain had left Naruto a short while ago to hide and disperse around the Uzumaki compound to keep his eyes open for Sasuke leaving him with privacy.

With only his kage hat to protect him from the pelting storm, Naruto made his way up the steps to stand face to face with his wonderful wife and brought a smile to his own face. The two expressed no words for a moment, a serene peace that gave them both a chance to recover from the recent ordeal.

"I'm back Mei." Naruto said, wrapping an arm around her waist as she brought her free hand up to caress his cheek.

Naruto brought her in for a kiss to which she happily received. It wasn't a quick peck though, both lovers had had enough with their decision to keep a distance from each other and relished in the others presence. The happy squeal of their baby brought them out of lip lock and into eye contact with Roshi's big blue eyes, his smile was infectious as the parents were soon smiling back down at him.

"Looks like Roshi is happy to see you too, Naruto." Mei noted as she led Naruto back into the house and away from the rain.

"Be sure to take your hat and robes off, you are soaking wet!" She warned him as they entered the small alcove where sandals and other accessories were deposited before entering the main home.

Naruto sighed happily to hear her warm tone again even if it was used as a scolding; he had missed it for the past few days. With all that was happening in such a short amount of time, it felt warm inside of him to know that his wife would remain a constant in his life, no matter what shortcomings would arise. As he lay his hat on the top of the coat hanger, he smiled as he knew that his duty in bringing peace would not falter as long as he had her in his heart.

"Mei, would you put Roshi to bed. I want to have a few words with you." Mei had walked into the family room, just a short distance away from the nook where Naruto was at the front door and heard his order perfectly; a chill ran down her spine at the sound of it though.

_'He surely found out by now..he is going to scold me and doesn't want Roshi in the middle of it. I suppose I had this coming.'_

"Yes dear." She called out, running up the stairs to Roshi's new room and placed him in his crib. At first he frowned at losing the familiar warmth of his mother's bosom, but he quieted as she lulled him to sleep with a lullaby.

_Natsuhiboshi naze akai?_

_Yuube kanashii yume wo mita._

_Naite hanashita._

_Akai me yo._

_Natsuhiboshi, naze mayou?_

_Kieta warashi wo sagashiteru._

_Dakara kanashii yume wo miru._

_Natsuhiboshi, naze akai?_

_Yuube kanashii yume wo mita._

_Naite hanashita._

_Akai me yo._

_Natsuhiboshi, naze mayou?_

_Kieta warashi wo Sagashiteru._

_Dakara kanashii yumewo miru._

Mei smiled softly as the little babe closed his eyes and kept them closed, allowing her to cover him with a blanket and leave the room. She straightened her robes and headed down to the family room where she felt Naruto would be. While she was nervous, even more so after Naruto's serious tone with her, Mei would not be frightened or intimidated.

Naruto turned towards the opening where Mei entered the room, a small smile gracing his lips as she walked towards him. He was standing near a window, leaning on the windowsill as he watched the peaceful rain patter against it making a soft sound that could lull him to sleep. The blonde had been thinking of what to say, but he found it difficult to think with all that had happened up until that point.

"Mei..why didn't you tell me?" He began his talk softly, a surprising turn for Mei who had believed he would be angry or hateful towards her; she found it much more difficult to stand her ground now.

"I..didn't want you to risk your life needlessly anymore. I was the Mizukage Naruto, I know better than most what it means to command an army of shinobi and have the responsibility of protecting a nation weighted on your shoulders. I thought that you were powerful enough..that you didn't need something that could.." She sniffed, Naruto thought he could hear her voice catch. "Could _kill _you."

"Mei.." Naruto sent in arm in her direction, just out of reach of her waist that was his target. He wanted to comfort her, tell her that he would be fine although even in his own feelings, he had doubts on the training.

She took his hand and gripped it tightly with both her own, sending it to her chest where her heart was. Tears began to spill from her eyes as she could no longer take the feelings of trepidation, worry, and even doubt that had built up in her heart. This was where she would reveal it all to him and hope he would understand.

"I..don't want to lose anyone close to me anymore Naruto! I lost my mother, my father, my clan..everything! With you, I finally was able to gain the love I had sought for so long and.." She took a moment to stifle a sob; Naruto's eyes quivered as he listened and felt himself go weak at seeing her so broken up inside. "with Roshi I now have a family of my own! If you go on this training..I'll..I'll lose you too!" That was enough for Naruto and he moved to envelope Mei in a tight embrace, not wanting to let go of her, _ever_.

"You won't lose me Mei, I promise." She looked up from where her head had been buried in his chest and opened her mouth to retort only to have it covered with his own. Naruto felt her sadness as he tasted her salty lips stained from tears, trying his best to take away her pain.

"I know I can't promise that everything will be alright like I usually do because even I can tell this will be dangerous. Really, I am probably the most insane person to even think of putting my life on the line for this..but I'm not doing it so I can gain more power.." Mei quieted herself as his voice lowered to a whisper. "_I'm doing it..to protect you._"

"But..Naruto I-" Naruto pecked her lips and laid a kiss on her forehead, silently basking in just holding her in his arms.

"I'm going to have to fight Madara eventually Mei..it is going to happen. I can't stop that outcome and neither can you. The only thing we can do is prepare ourselves for that inevitable so that when the time comes, we can tell ourselves that we did our best and did everything in our power to win, even if we are destined to fail anyway. It is better to do something than to do nothing and it is even worse to know of the problem and still do nothing. Do you understand why I have to do this?" Mei didn't want to understand, she wanted to say no, but she nodded anyway because the sad truth was she _knew_ that it was he who would have to fight Madara and put an end to it all.

She just wished he didn't have to shoulder such a dangerous burden.

"Yes I do but-" This time she was silenced by his own words, the whisper had turned into a confident speech as he asked her one last question.

"Do you trust me?" He backed up a bit so that they could look into each others eyes and she could see that fiery passion that could make anyone believe in him, the look that made any man follow such a leader.

Betraying herself, Mei allowed a smile to surface as she brought a hand to wipe away the tears. Naruto waited for her response but felt a smile tug at his own lips as she brought both her hands to his cheeks and allowed herself to get close.

"Yes..yes I do Naruto Uzumaki. I know that you will bring us peace..and I know that you will come back to me." Naruto smiled and kissed her, allowing his passion for her to get caught up in her own emotions as she slammed her lips against his own.

Mei moaned as Naruto began to win the tongue war and felt his two hands land on her lower thighs and roughly lift her into the air. Her legs quickly swung around and hooked behind his back as her arms linked around his neck. The Uzumaki could not take the sexual tension any longer, it was time to rekindle the flames that burned in their hearts for one another.

In an instant, both Uzumaki were in their bedroom and Naruto brought himself down on Mei as he laid her on the bed. With a flick of his wrist, she was undressed with her white and red robe becoming a useless piece of fabric and an obstacle to him. Naruto took a moment to look at her stunning form, the way her russet red hair scrambled everywhere on the bed with its insane length and made it look like she had an aura around her; the smooth pale white skin that he had come to love; the perky breasts that he would not trade for a single thing; her beautiful lips blue lips and nails that brought out the best in her; her single revealed emerald eye seemed to sparkle under his gaze, as if he was looking at a diamond.

With a few tense moments, Naruto was left in nothing but boxers with his own skillful hand. Mei had nothing but a small pair of panties on, she would admit though that she had not expected Naruto to be so aggressive after they made up; she _liked_ it though. He sat himself on the bed in front of her almost naked form, running his fingers lightly on her skin and relishing in its soft texture. Mei shivered from his ministrations, enjoying the sweet torture that he was giving her before they began.

"Mei..you are so beautiful." He said, easily for the hundredth time, but with no less fervor than the first; Mei blushed even then and guided his hands to her breasts, the nipples stood erect already from her excitement.

"I am yours Naruto..please touch me more!" Without any need for further invitation, Naruto grasped both breasts and squeezed them, just to tease.

Mei moaned, surprising even herself with how sensitive they were. Combined with the breast milk from Roshi and how long she had gone without Naruto's touch, it was pure torture on her nerves. It was like a sweet massage for her and she relished in it, freely moaning with abandon.

"Ah! It feels so good! Naruto!" Knowing what his wife needed, Naruto wedged himself between her legs and brought his face to one of her breasts, gently beginning to nip and suck at the nipple.

"Mmmmm...ah!" Mei's eyes had been closed in pleasure until they shot open in surprise when she felt him bite on the sensitive spot, not enough to hurt but enough to get an obvious squeak.

His eyes were closed in pure pleasure as he enjoyed every moment of playing with his wife's wonderful breasts. He now remembered just why he had been so jealous of Roshi for the past few days, how could anyone not be with Mei's wonderful form? But he knew that no matter what kind of argument they got into, Mei would always be his..there was nothing anyone could do about that.

As the warm milk came in trickles from her breasts, Naruto gladly lapped up the liquid. It didn't matter what it tasted like or where it was from, it all felt so wonderful in his bout of ecstasy. Mei for her part was relishing in the release of so much of her milk, all the breast aches were disappearing as they were replaced with pleasure from Naruto's skilled tongue. Her moans were met with no resistance as she screamed her lungs out to her heart's content.

_'We haven't even begun yet and it's like this is our first time.'_

When he felt like he had had enough, Naruto disengaged himself from her chest and looked down towards her black panties with a hungry stare. It was obvious to him as his boxers had been rubbing against her lips that she was wet, wetter than even the rain outside.

Mei could barely articulate words as he sucked on her breasts; when he ripped her undergarment off and locked his lips onto her clit, there was no sound that could accurately describe her pleasure. All she could do was continue to moan and try and sound out her husband's name as encouragement to continue until her sweet release was brought on in full.

Naruto sucked and licked the delicate nub that would bring his wife pleasure, relishing in her moans and how her every move was governed by which action his tongue would take. Her arms were to her sides, clutching at the bed sheets or occasionally holding her mouth to try and stop her moans from waking all of the compound.

"You like that Mei?" Naruto paused in his actions for a moment to tease his wife; the dazed look on her face was priceless as her mind tried to figure out why he stopped.

"Why..did you stop?" Her raspy voice, hoarse from moaning, escaped her blue lips only for Naruto to bring that wonderful sound back when his tongue darted into her folds and inside of her; massaging her inner walls with its coarse feel.

Mei felt her end approach, it was so obvious yet it hit her like a sucker punch from Tsunade. Naruto felt her legs and upper body quiver and knew what was about to happen. He took his hands that had been holding her breasts to holding her legs and brought his tongue out of her inner walls. Just as Mei thought Naruto would tease her to death, her end was again brought to the surface with one last hearty moan as Naruto attached his mouth to her clit again.

He accepted her juices as they flowed from her lips and drank it all down, relishing in its taste. Mei could do nothing else but lay still on the bed, occasionally twitching as the orgasm wound down to its final spurts. It had been wonderful, quite possibly the best one she had ever had in her life; it was only fair that she did her best to return the favor.

"Naruto.." He could just barely make out her voice from how rough it sounded, almost exactly how it had been after Roshi was born. At first he was afraid he had done too much when her legs masterfully twisted around his waist and brought his weight forward, leading his face to crash onto her breasts.

They a shared a moment of quiet before Naruto was again flipped onto his back while Mei now straddled him. Not trusting herself with just how stable she would be on her own, she quickly brought her naked body close to his and crawled down his torso to where her nimble hands quickly took away his last clothing item.

Naruto felt her warm lips wrap around the head of his already erect dick and knew that it wouldn't be long. Mei had always amazed him at how good she was with oral sex, nor did he ever question her ability to make him feel good. That was why, as he felt the warm suction go up and down his pole, Naruto was content to hold the back of her head and ride his way to orgasm.

Mei relished in the ability to make her husband feel so good with just an extension of foreplay. Mei had always welcomed Naruto's ability to make her come and so she felt it was time to reward him, for what could be their last time in such togetherness. Naruto felt two warm and soft mounds squeeze him in between themselves and his eyes shot open to see Mei massaging his dick with her breasts.

His eyes rolled back into his skull as he lightly pressed on the back of her head to make her speed up, to which she complied. He had _never_ received a boob job from Mei, it came as a great shock but a pleasurable feeling. It was as if kami knew the grave stakes Naruto and his family were about to face and gave him one last gift of pleasure, a sign maybe of good luck. That was in the back of Naruto's mind though as through a combination of his wife's gentle sucking on his head to the massage of the rest of his pole, Naruto's end was already arriving.

Mei had been happily drinking his precum when it finally occurred to her that with her new technique underway, she was making Naruto come in half the time. She knew as his head lightly shook while in her mouth that his end was near and sped up, hoping to bring him to the same level of ecstasy as he did for her. It came as relief for both when Naruto's seed shot into her mouth and she gladly drank it all, not missing a single drop.

With his own orgasm ending, Naruto brought back his control and flipped Mei onto her back. With one quick motion, Naruto was poised to enter Mei's folds with just her whim as his command. He looked into her eyes as did she into his, a silent message to begin. Naruto uttered three words as he slid into her, three words that could make or break a person, three words that Mei had begun to treasure since her time with him began.

"I love you."

His rhythm was a fast one, even though it had the same amount of passion as a slow beginning would have. With ease, Mei found her niche and began to slam back onto him with her own body. She would tighten around him and he would push harder to keep up his rhythm; she slowed down and he would speed up to pick up the tempo. It was quick for her mind to realize that there was no way she could keep up and just allowed her moans to keep him going as she grabbed onto the bed sheets again.

With their movement and his position, Naruto had a perfect view of Mei's wonderful mounds bouncing back and forth. It was as if they were teasing him, that his job had not been good enough to first time and they were enticing him to come back. Not one to be outdone and definitely not one to skimp on pleasuring his wife, Naruto leaned down and began to suck on her breasts. If Mei had been holding it together before then, she was now melted putty in his hands.

With her end apparent, Naruto sped up his movements and made them even more forceful. His hands weren't idle as one gripped her other breast and the other held onto her hips to steady them as he slammed into her. Mei couldn't take it anymore as she screamed out his name in unfathomable pleasure.

"NARUTO!" Naruto felt his own end arrive with her final squeeze and took his lips away from her punished breast, joining in her moans.

"MEI!" Naruto's seed mixed with Mei's juices and they coalesced within her body, an unprecedented feeling between the two lovers could be felt upon the end of their orgasm.

With his body and mind spent, Naruto covered up Mei and thought of how he too should join her in post coital bliss. He knew he couldn't though, not tonight. Mei seemed to understand as she moved a weak hand to lay over his own making his eyes meet hers. With an almost imperceptible nod, Naruto received her blessings, her understanding, and her love for his training that he would soon set out to do.

"Mei.." Naruto couldn't bring words to describe how beautiful she looked, even with the sweaty sheen that made her glisten in the moonlight that shone through the windows. Naruto absently noted the rain had not let up, too caught up in his wife to worry about such trivial things.

"I know Naruto..good luck. I love you." Naruto kissed his wife's lips and slowly got off of the bed. Within a few minutes his clothing was back on and he was ready to leave; he spared a final look behind him and felt confidence surge through him as a tired Mei smiled at him.

"Go on..you have one last leg of training to do my love. Your an Uzumaki, I know you can do it!" Naruto remembered when Mei said the exact same words of confidence before he began his training with her all those years ago in Kiri, only she and him would ever be able to share that nostalgic feeling through the memory.

"I love you Mei..I'll be back soon." Naruto opened the balcony door and stepped out into the pouring rain before leaping out into the air and disappearing in a yellow flash.

Mei waited for a moment even after he left, to make sure she saw him off well. He needed her trust now more than ever, and she would gladly give it to him if it meant he would survive that training. Satisfied that her husband would return to her soon, Mei fell into a deep sleep.

000

_Uzugakure_

_Uzumaki Compound_

Sasuke removed his blade from the gut of another bodyguard that was hiding within the grounds of the Uzumaki Compound. He had arrived a short while ago and had easily gained access to the village. While he had the urge to kill anyone who got in his way, Sasuke kept his bloodlust from rising long enough to get in range of the supposed Uzukage mansion.

Another guard arrived in front of him, this time they had a pitiful swirl mask that looked just like Madara's. He could feel the hate radiate off of the man as he prepared to avenge the fallen shinobi and smirked, relishing in the rain that was pelting his skin in the dead of night. With the rain, it was easy for him to kill and no one would discern the dying screams from the rain that so gently lulled them back to sleep.

He electrically charged his sword and activated his mangekyo, preparing to destroy the man in front of him with Tsukuyomi. Before he could even begin though, the man fell to the ground in a muddy heap, unconscious. As Sasuke began to bring the sword down on the man, a long metal rod clanged against it and stopped his advance cold.

Sasuke's red and black eyes looked up into purple ringed ones; the deathly gaze set on by the one with the Rinnegan frightened Sasuke for a moment. He leaped back a bit and saw it was Pain, the Akatsuki member that Madara surmised had gone rogue; he had not been expecting him to be in Uzu of all places.

"Pain! What the hell are you doing! Get out of my way and go bother someone else!" The Deva path remained near the man's body, stalwart and unmoving even after Sasuke's angry order.

"Did you hear m-"

"The time for you to die has come boy. Your taint on this world will be vanquished by me and it will become my last gift to this world as I entrust it to the next generation." Sasuke squinted in confusion to the man's cryptic words as he saw another pain pick up both bodies of the men and take them off somewhere; it was not long before all six paths stood before Sasuke glaring at him.

"You're not making any sense! If you threaten me again, I won't hesitate to kill you and destroy those eyes of yours." Pain was not fazed by the petty insult, merely allowing his final words to Sasuke flow through the air with a final tone.

"This god has spoken.._your time has come._"

000

_Myobokuzan_

_Land of Toads_

Four figures stood around a large crystal ball, one was sitting on a large cushion and had his webbed hands hovering over the ball. His old and decrepit form belied his true power, the Great Toad Sage held a neutral expression on his face as the party watched Pain confront Sasuke.

"Quite an interesting change of events, eh Ojiji-sama?" Fukasaku noted as he sat next to his wife Shima and the large hulking figure to the other side of him.

The old toad nodded, his wizened mind analyzing the situation in Uzugakure. They had been sitting here watching the crystal ball for days, even weeks, barely eating anything at all as it would disrupt their silent vigil of the world around them.

"Yes Fukasaku, that Naruto-chan is quite an interesting one. I wonder if the monkey's training will be as equal of an advantage of our sage training?" Fukasaku shrugged, no human had ever completed it so it was hard to tell.

"Well, the last time I saw Yomusha we both were about at equal strength even when we began to use our special training. I figure Naruto-chan has a good chance of becoming strong as long as he is in their care." Shima was sitting quietly, watching the drama unfold between Sasuke and Pain instead of bickering over useless things.

"I suppose with the rallying of Madara's forces and the trouble Leaf is about to be in, it is just about time we showed ourselves, huh Jiraiya boy?" The fourth presence sitting near the crystal ball was finally acknowledged as Jiraiya, the Human Toad Sage.

The white haired man smirked as he watched his previous apprentice prepare to go up against Sasuke, weighing their options.

"It looks like it is really about to hit the fan in Konoha, I guess I should make a good appearance with the toads huh?" Fukasaku chuckled at Jiraiya and waggled his finger at him.

"Good thing for you that Tsunade-chan isn't there, or else she would kill you for hiding from everyone this long!" Jiraiya frowned and scratched the back of his head, meekly pointing over to the Great Toad Sage.

"Well it's not my fault this guy said I should stay hidden from the world so peace would come. I was just doing what he said to do." The old geezer smiled.

"Let's see them believe that in Konoha!" Fukasaku muttered as Shima laughed and pointed at the cowering Jiraiya to give him her own jibe.

"Tsunade-chan will believe it..after she gives you a couple dozen hits on the head!"

000

Wow, got that chapter done pretty quick. Oh. my. God. I know what you are thinking, 'WHAT THE FUCK JIRAIYA LIVED? WTFBBQ?11!' Yes, he is alive and well hiding out in the land of toads. It will be further explained later why and how he survived but if you want to look back at Chapter 16, I never wrote the death scene for Jiraiya. You all just believed I would kill him off..WELL YOU WERE WRONG!

And yes, I wrote the final lemon scene between Naruto and Mei and I hope I made it good. It was meant to be totally romantic so I hope I captured the entire fluff scene well. The lullaby was actually from the anime and I really liked it so I put it in here!

And Oh. My. God. Pain vs. Sasuke!

I am taking bets for either Pain or Sasuke, who wants to put up some money for the victor!

Also please in your reviews mention whether you dislike my version of Naruto's answer/plan to stop the endless cycle of pain and Nagato's choice of redemption. I am curious if you all think it is believable or not.

Review!

Bye!


	29. Hermitage Abandoned, Uchiha's Hatred!

Uzumaki Clan's Rebirth

Chapter 29

The Hermitage Abandoned, Uchiha's Destructive Destiny!

**Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO!**

"speaking"

_'thinking'_

"**Jutsu**"

**"Tailed Beast Speak"**

"_Radio Speak"_

NaruxMei

**BLOODLINE WARNING**: Naruto uses **Lava** and **Boil** Release in this story. He has three elements in total because of his bloodlimit, Fire, Water, and Earth.

**Arc: Uzu no Kuni, 6th Elemental Nation!**

Everyone was worried about Sasuke's plot armor for this chapter so I will just remind everyone that I AM NOT KISHIMOTO! While I do use plot devices such as character death, return of 'dead characters', occasional plot armor for story progression, and bashing; I still have my limits. I am not a Sasuke fan either but I'm sure this might not convince some of you so I added this little thing:

Game Start

..1...2...3..

xXxManG3Ky0M0D3SaSuKExXx has joined the chapter.

xXxManG3Ky0M0D3SaSuKExXx: Haha, plot armor cheat codes with Amaterasu and Tsukuyomi ftw! Prepare to get pwned N00bs!

ReDsHirT101: NO! I'M BURNING!

ReDsHirT102: OUR EPIC CLAN IS DYING! HE'S RAPING EVERYBODY!

ReDsHirt1024: HE'S RAPING ME! OH MY GOD, HE IS RAPING ME!

ReDsHirT101: SOMEBODY GET AN AUTHOR IN HERE! HE'S RAPING ME WITH HIS EYES! I FEEL SO VIOLATED!

AUTHOR_G3rMan: Inserting believably powerful character, Pain. xXxManG3Ky0M0D3SaSuKExXx's plot armor has been deactivated with author god mode, bye bye Sas-GAY! Have fun being banned from the chapter!

AUTHOR_G3rMan has left the chapter to go get popcorn.

RinneganPain has joined the game

RinneganPain: Your time has come boy.

xXxManG3Ky0M0D3SaSuKExXx: NO! MY EPIC HAXX0R POWERS!..No, stay back! HE'S RAPING ME! HE'S RAPING ME!

xXxEt3RnalMaNG3kYoMadaraxXx has joined the game.

xXxEt3RnalMaNG3kYoMadaraxXx: ….

xXxEt3RnalMaNg3kYoMadaraxXx has left the game.

lol, hope you enjoyed that little joke as a foreshadowing of the chapter. Also, if you didn't notice, the 'raping' part of the dialogue based off of an episode of South Park to which I do not own, just thought I would reference it. Even if you didn't see it though, it should still be funny. Imagine this happening on like Xbox live or playing on the PC.

000

_Myobokuzan_

_Land of Toads_

Jiraiya stood with the two elder toads near the quick access pool that would allow them to reach Konoha in record time. The man of course would not be able to fit through though, it was alright because he had another plan. They were just finalizing their plans before they made to leave Myobokuzan.

"So, we should head to Konoha first then and warn them?" Fukasaku asked Jiraiya as the man shouldered his scroll and placed his sandals on his feet.

The two elderly toads had left the Great Toad Sage's quarters with Jiraiya as he was preparing to leave. Because of the grave circumstances, Fukasaku had volunteered himself and Shima to accompany the Sannin to Konoha and fight. While Jiraiya did indeed plan to go to Konoha, he had a pit stop that he would have to head to first. Where they stood now, Konoha wouldn't stand a chance without a little help and he had to settle a debt with an old friend.

"Not exactly.." Jiraiya notified, looking down into the confused faces of both toads. "I'm going to make an extra stop somewhere before I head to Konoha, I want you two to head to Konoha and warn them. If you could, it might not be a bad idea to get a messenger toad to Tsunade at the summit, it'll be better if she knows what's going on as soon as possible." The two toads looked at each other and nodded in assent to his requests.

"That sounds like a plan Jiraiya-chan, if we get a messenger to the summit, we might get the other village's support too!" Shima suggested since Konoha was in the alliance, it would only be right to bring along the other Kage and their forces.

"Jiraiya boy, do you want Tsunade to know that you are alive in the message?" Jiraiya grabbed his chin in thought before sweat dropping and furiously shaking his head negatively; the two elders smirked.

"I..don't think that would be such a great idea..it can wait. Besides, how else will I appear as the hero if she already knows I'll be there?" He chuckled nervously, not really believing the joke himself; the two toads just shook their heads in pity before Fukasaku asked the burning question on their mind.

"Jiraiya boy, why aren't you going to Konoha first? What is this extra stop you were talking about? You might need us with you." Jiraiya shook his head as he went through a few hand signs and smiled to the two confused elders.

"I'm sorry..but this is something I have to do on my own. You know what you have to do." Before they could argue further, Jiraiya teleported away back to the shinobi continent.

Fukasaku scratched his head and Shima crossed her arms in frustration. The boy was still stubborn and enigmatic, even if he could be a jokester. She just hoped he would realize when the right time to arrive in Konoha was or else they would have a lot of trouble on their hands.

"Shima." She turned to her husband after he called her name. "You go to Konoha and warn them of the danger, I'll get the messenger toad ready and be right behind you. We can't waste a second of our time in preparing for those tailed beasts." The woman nodded and jumped into the pool of water, using the seals there to teleport her to the other pool near Konoha.

Fukasaku summoned a trusty runner toad and had him deliver a quick message to the kage summit. The red and green toad saluted his boss and jumped into the teleporting pool, closely followed by Fukasaku. Meanwhile, the Great Toad Sage gathered the large fighting toads to alert and prepare them for the coming battle.

The toads were on the war march.

000

_Uzugakure_

_Uzu Tower_

Ao was sitting at his friend's desk, looking through a few documents of importance as he waited for Naruto to return. It had been a few hours since the fateful encounter with Akatsuki in the streets of the shinobi district and Naruto had yet to return, much to the worry of Ao. As long as he was out, it was the ANBU General's duty to keep control over the village as temporary leader.

In the meantime, he was waiting for reports from his ANBU units guarding the Southwest wall as they had yet to report in. It wasn't necessarily odd, considering the fact that the rainstorm had yet to let up and it was difficult to maneuver with the strong winds blasting the village. However, ANBU were professionals and something like that shouldn't have been obstructing them from coming to report in person. But while it worried the man, he had other big problems to deal with.

_'From what I can tell here from this message from Kiri's resistance forces, Madara is on the move. He was seen taking four large pots with him, all labeled a specific number. With that madman's ability, who knows what he's got cooked up. As soon as Naruto arrives, I'll have to report this to him.'_ Ao scowled and shook his head at the parchment, it wasn't news they wanted to hear.

_'Then again, what can we expect? We were lucky that Madara and Akatsuki weren't active for the past few months, it gave us time to establish the village. I guess we're lucky that we aren't a major threat or else Madara might have been coming after us instead of Konoha.'_

Suddenly, a yellow flash appeared in front of the desk and Ao quickly stood up in defense. He was greeted by the Uzukage, somewhat soaked from the rain but otherwise in perfect health. He smiled and walked around the desk to meet with him face to face and allow Naruto take his place at the desk. He seemed happy, a certain glow was radiating off of the Kage that Ao noticed.

_'Something good must have happened to him, I wonder..'_

"Uzukage-sama, good to see you're alright. When we saw you gone with those Akatsuki, we feared the worst." Naruto looked at Ao and nodded in assent, he figured they wouldn't have been too happy with that scene.

"Yes, I was able to meet with them and discuss a more diplomatic solution. Turns out they are defectors from the organization and wanted to help us, I accepted it since we need all the help we can get. However, I don't have much time to be here so give me a quick report Ao." The man was surprised by the information supplied but quickly forgot it so that he could respond to the order.

"Sir, we received a message from Kiri's resistance group that Madara has begun to move his forces against Konoha." Naruto visibly stiffened as he sifted through the papers on the desk, shaken by the news that Akatsuki was moving.

"I see..that could be a problem." Ao was surprised by the calm in his voice but paid no heed, he went on to explain the strange circumstances surrounding the invasion forces.

"That's not all, apparently it isn't any normal invasion force with shinobi; the man has four large pots that I believe have something to do with a sealing technique. I have no proof though, just a hunch. What should we do about this?" Naruto thought for a moment, his eyes were looking at the desk in thought.

"Nothing for now, we aren't even in an alliance with them so it doesn't matter. What else?" Ao was again shocked at the certain edge of ice in his tone but realized that he was right, they had no obligation to save Konoha.

"Well..I am concerned about the fact that a few of my squads are not reporting in at their posts. With this storm I feel like cutting them some slack but..for some it has been over an hour since the designated time." Naruto silently cursed and shook his head, he knew exactly what that meant.

"They are probably dead, we have an infiltrator in our village." Ao stiffened and scowled under his white mask, they had an enemy in the village so soon after the Akatsuki arrival?

"An enemy? Who?" Naruto met his eyes for the first time and scowled as well, spitting out the name with venom.

"Sasuke Uchiha, apprentice and puppet of Madara." Ao's eyes went back to normal as he processed the information and concluded he wasn't too surprised by the fact that the boy had come; albeit he was angry that he had slipped by the man so easily.

"How do you want us to handle this sir?" Naruto had faith in Pain, he would leave it up to Nagato to win the day.

"Nothing, have our spare ANBU squads move to confirm the situation in the Uzumaki Compound and have a double layer of Jonin and Medical Teams deployed there. I already have someone that is dealing with him as we speak, just make sure my wife and son are kept safe." Ao was confused as to the order seeing as how no one in the village save for a few had the caliber to fight the Uchiha but nodded anyway; once again he would have to trust the younger man's judgment call.

"Yes sir, I will deploy with the teams to your house myself and ensure the safety of your family. Where will you be, Naruto?" Naruto was about to answer when Yomusha and a few other Lava Monkeys appeared in the room, surprising the ex Hunter-nin.

"Uzumaki-sama!" They announced, bowing to Naruto; the blonde sighed and knew what they had come for, it was finally time to begin.

"I have training to begin, something that unfortunately cannot be delayed any further. Ao, I have left my last orders here in this scroll, please read them as soon as possible and have them fulfilled." Naruto held up a red scroll with the Uzukage's stamp seal placed over it indicating its importance; he then held up a larger scroll that had a strap to fit over a person's shoulder.

"Give this one to Akeru, he will know what to do with it." Ao nodded and placed the orders in one of his vest's scroll pouches while shouldering the larger scroll to take with him.

"Anything else sir?" He asked as it seemed the Uzukage would be leaving them again with little warning, a recurring trait with the young leader that made Ao uncomfortable.

"Just know that when I return, it will be the last time I will ever leave my people again. When I return.." Naruto paused and walked around his desk to stand in front of the summons, a serious scowl set on his features. "We will finish this war once and for all." As soon as Naruto uttered the last syllable, he and the monkeys disappeared in a puff of smoke leaving Ao to gather the forces of Uzu once again.

_'Be safe, Naruto. I hope that for all our sakes, you can complete that training in record time.'_ Ao thought to himself before he held up a hand sign and disappeared to accomplish his mission.

000

_Uzugakure_

_Uzumaki Compound_

As Mei slept soundly within her home, a confrontation was brewing at the front gates of the compound. Pain made no move to start the battle, waiting for Sasuke to make the first move. The boy in question was glaring at the ringed eyed man with his mangekyo activated, dark energy flowing through him as he allowed his hate to fuel his power.

"GET OUT OF MY WAY!" Sasuke charged forward with his sword, intent on getting rid of the first one to stand in his way; the Deva Path held up an open palm towards the boy while the Asura path had a smirk on its face.

Before Sasuke could respond, a burst of speed from the mechanical path forced his eyes on it instead and he brought up his sword to block a kick from it. With its first attack a failure, the Asura path weaved easily out of a stab from Sasuke's weapon and grabbed a hold of his weapon arm. Using its immense strength, Asura threw Sasuke into the air allowing Deva to use his technique safely.

"**Shinra Tensei!**" Sasuke felt a concentrated blast of chakra explode into his vulnerable body and was sent flying out of the village into the deep forest.

Satisfied with the distance he shot the boy, Deva looked at Asura and inclined his head towards the Animal path and the strongman of the group nodded in assent. He grabbed the woman's slender body and threw her in the direction Sasuke landed, allowing Nagato to move the battle away from Uzugakure. The Animal path sensed Sasuke's chakra and landed on a tree branch safely, going through hand signs before slamming her hand onto the ground.

"**Summoning Technique!**" From the smoke came the other five paths and they hustled over to where Sasuke's dark energy was leaking from.

They found the boy leaning against a tree, trying to gather his breath. A long trench in the ground and a few broken limbs in the trees above indicated his landing had not been graceful and there was signs of bleeding from the Uchiha. With no remorse in their bodies, the paths got into a formation and prepared to finish the boy off as he glared at them with his eyes.

"Damn you Pain! At first I thought you were joking, should have known you weren't the joking type. Oh well, I suppose your usefulness has ended." Sasuke's left eye began to bleed as his murderous smirk erupted on his face, obviously believing the battle over.

Pain showed no signs of moving as the boy prepared his eye's special attack, Amaterasu! The black flames raced towards the gathered paths before the Preta moved in front of them and held his hands up in defense.

Sasuke began to chuckle darkly as he watched the man futilely attempt to block his attack, it would do no good. Amaterasu was the god's vengeance, the flames of the heavens, they were _unquenchable_; no one could put them out except a fellow mangekyo user. Or at least, that was what the boy thought until he saw the flames begin to warp and disappear into the large Akatsuki's hands.

_'What! How the hell did he defeat the flames?'_

Preta lowered its hands, a small amount of smoke emanated from either hand and the smell of burnt flesh was obvious. While the Preta could absorb the attack; even something of its magnitude could only be contained so many times before the Preta would be unable to do so again.

000

Nagato coughed up blood from absorbing Amaterasu flames, it was an overwhelming amount of power that the path took in. As it was only a lifeless puppet with no chakra system of its own, the chakra absorbed from the Amaterasu was transferred to Nagato. Instead of being able to harness it though, the dark flames were almost lethal to Nagato before he ended their existence with his powers.

_'That was too close..'_

000

"How did you.." Sasuke couldn't find the right words to articulate to his opponent, he was too shocked by his all mighty powers being defeated so easily.

"Do not underestimate the powers of the Rinnegan, I am your superior in all ways Uchiha. Show some respect before I end you." The Deva countered, Nagato enjoyed the look of recoil on the boy's face with the counter.

"Dammit, I guess I'll have to try something else." Sasuke said out loud as he prepared himself, he did his best to calm down before beginning.

Pain watched with little emotion; feeling it was best to humor the boy for a short time before he killed him. It would do no good for him to go into the afterlife whining like a child for being defeated so quick, it would not be a welcome encounter for anyone.

_'I cannot delay his death for too long..my own time is coming shortly.'_ Nagato thought to himself as he prepared to meet Sasuke's counterattack with his own.

Crouching in a low stance, Sasuke suddenly used hidden seals on his forearms to summon two large windmill shuriken; Pain watched as the boy threw both weapons towards his group. He held up his hand and Sasuke could see a concentrated sphere of chakra begin to form around him.

_'So that's his power..the ability to repel objects with his chakra. That is the power of the Rinnegan? Looks like this will be quite a challenge.'_

"**Shinra Tensei!**" The projectiles were suddenly launched back at Sasuke at outrageous speeds forcing him to think fast.

With a quick crouch movement, Sasuke leaped through the space between the shuriken to escape the attack. Sensing the boy's precarious position, Nagato manipulated the Asura path to send it on a crash course with Sasuke, that would allow the blade on its back to impale the Uchiha. Sasuke read the attack with his sharingan and began to focus his chakra.

Asura impaled the boy but soon found that it had been tricked, hitting only a log. It scowled and threw the broken wood off of its body, searching for the boy's location.

_'Substitution..how simple.'_ Nagato thought over the move that the Uchiha used to escape as he searched for the boy with six pairs of eyes.

"_**Chidori Senbon**_**.**" Sasuke whispered from a nearby tree branch and shot dozens of small lightning needles straight at the recovering Asura, seeing its vulnerability.

Unfortunately for Sasuke, Naraka path saw the attack coming and without even turning towards the attack's location, Asura jumped out of the way with a sidestep. Sasuke's eyes widened at the unbelievable move done by the path, taking suspicious notice of the Naraka path staring at him.

_'Their eyes..are they linked? That one wasn't even looking at me and he knew when to dodge..the Rinnegan has many features.'_

"**Bansho Ten'in!**" Sasuke felt a pull on his body and saw the Deva path holding its hand towards him again, this time using his power to pull Sasuke instead of push.

_'Dammit!'_ He cursed mentally when he saw the Asura step in his flight path with its carving knife aimed right at his abdomen, a sure hit this time.

Calling on his left eye's power again, Sasuke formed an Amaterasu shield in front of him forcing the Preta path to jump in front and take the jutsu. This, coupled with Nagato's pain from absorbing the technique, led the Deva path to momentarily falter in his technique and freed Sasuke. With Nagato's moment of vulnerability evident in Sasuke's eyes, he stabbed the vulnerable Preta right in the chest; this incapacitated the body leaving five paths still up.

_'That is one down.'_ Sasuke looked to see both the Human and Asura path rush him and stalled his counterattack.

He caught one punch from the Human path and almost knocked the Asura path's fist away when it suddenly changed course to avoid his counter. The air was knocked out of Sasuke when its fist impacted his stomach, leaving him vulnerable to a devastating knee kick from Human that sent him flying backwards.

The Asura grabbed one of its hands and pulled hard, revealing a cord from within the arm that had missiles attached to it. Aiming them all at Sasuke, it shot them off and had their heat seeking abilities keep the lock on Sasuke's body strong so he couldn't escape. The Uchiha pushed himself up and prepared his counter; Sasuke had finally begun to sweat from the intensity of the battle.

The missiles impacted the spot where Sasuke had occupied and Nagato waited until his vision cleared to confirm his death. He was disappointed, however, when out of the smoke came Sasuke crouching in a large crater; the difference was that he had activated his Level Two curse form and used one of its wings to protect him from the blast. Observing his new form, Pain concluded that he would now have extra stamina and strength and prepared himself with caution.

Sasuke lowered his battered wing and looked at the paths, taking a quick stock of the situation. His surprise was topped once again when he saw all six bodies standing, that included the one that he had stabbed into. How was he still up? Sasuke was sure he had killed him with a stab to the heart.

_'Another power of the Rinnegan? How many abilities does he have?'_ Sasuke grimaced in pain and held his side, still not fully healed from the first encounter with Pain.

"Now you see, it is futile to stand against Pain." Deva announced to the boy, Nagato had seen his shock when Preta was resurrected and that allowed fear to creep into the Uchiha's heart.

"I am not done yet!" A warbled war cry erupted from the avenger's throat as he created a chidori and used it to electrify his sword, charging forward towards Deva.

It held up a hand towards him, as if to make him stop. Sasuke had already seen the trick once though and waited for the right moment to move. Pain launched his concentrated shockwave but was surprised to see Sasuke time his dodge correctly and sidestepped the blast; it knocked down a tree behind where Sasuke stood before ending. He continued his charge until the Animal path arrived in front of Deva and summoned something.

"**Summoning Technique!**" A large rhinoceros appeared and impacted Sasuke, slamming him backwards and away from the main path.

The Animal path's eyes widened when it saw numerous large white snakes appear over the rhino and begin to constrict its body. Before it could be killed, she unsummoned it allowing the Human path to charge forward with a Chakra Disruption Blade appearing from its arm. Sasuke met his attack with his blade and the 'clack' could be heard over the roaring rain storm when the two impacted.

In the bid of strength, Sasuke found that they were both equal and knew he had to do something. His sharingan tracked Asura and Deva coming towards him on either flank; one had a similar chakra blade while the other had simply its fists.

With no other options, Sasuke opened both of his eyes to reveal the mangekyo. A ribcage formed around his body and all three paths were forced back from the defensive barrier. Nagato had never encountered such a defense and was momentarily intrigued by it before beginning to prepare another attack. Sasuke's breathing had picked up and it was obvious in combination with battle fatigue that creating Susanoo was difficult for his body to handle.

Asura prepared to launch more missiles from the hidden areas in his hollow arms while Deva went through hand seals for a jutsu. The other paths stood back as they had no long range capabilities. Sasuke observed the beginnings of the counterattack and began to focus his anger and hatred to further develop the Susanoo; arms began to sprout from the ribcage as Pain launched his attack.

"**Fire Release: Flame Bullet!**" Deva released a large blast of fire from its mouth towards Sasuke as the missiles impacted his shielded body.

Craters were created everywhere around the Susanoo's body and Sasuke grunted from exertion in keeping the shield up. Pain's fire attack hit next and it literally forced Sasuke onto his knees from the pain from both his eyes being used to maintain the skeleton. The smoke was cleared to reveal Sasuke's shield intact, albeit much paler and the energy wavering; the two arms that had formed now both held a single sword of blackish red chakra.

Sasuke launched his attack at the concentrated paths, using his sword to swing in a horizontal arc low to the ground to make it more difficult to dodge. As it was too quick for a complete dodge, Asura was sacrificed by throwing Deva into the air while the others had just enough room to escape on their own. Sasuke cursed as the five remaining paths easily recovered and stared at him with little emotion to their downed comrade.

_'What does it take to kill this guy?'_

Sasuke was again assaulted by a surge of pain emanating from his eyes and fell to the ground on all fours. Pain looked at him with little pity and saw victory close at hand as the arms disappeared leaving the weakened ribcage all that was keeping Sasuke safe. The two opponents met each others gaze for a moment before Pain launched his next attack, concentrated on finishing off Sasuke's shield.

"**Wind Release: Gale Force Blow!**" Pain gathered up the wind in his mouth and shot it forward with a certain swing to his neck allowing it to release in the form of a wide crescent.

The attack was sent like a razor sharp knife at Sasuke, impacting and shattering the 'unbreakable' Susanoo. With little physical energy left, Sasuke once again activated his Level Two curse mark and used that chakra to give him a burst of speed and escape into the forest. Deva watched him run for a moment before looking back at Naraka to see it just finishing up reviving Asura. Nagato could feel the end was close and sent all six paths after the ailing form of Sasuke.

With little energy left, Sasuke was now desperate to either escape or receive backup from Madara. He figured the old man couldn't accomplish his objectives if he was allowed to die so he just had to live long enough until he came to bail him out. While it would be embarrassing to explain his loss, Sasuke was confident that he could save face by admitting to not having enough info on the Rinnegan for an excuse.

_'Just have to escape that blasted Pain!'_

Sasuke felt a sharp surge of pain in his abdomen and screamed in anguish. He missed the next jump from his flinch and landed hard on the wet, muddy ground of Uzu. He deactivated his sharingan for a moment to assess his surroundings when a great horror came upon him; he could see nothing in front of him! Everything was white and scratchy, he had gone blind!

In disbelief and anger, Sasuke gathered his chakra into his hand and sent a strong surge of lightning into the ground. The large explosion sent Sasuke flying backwards and brought Pain to the pitiful sight of a cowering Sasuke; the boy was in a fetal position near a fallen tree. As he got closer, Pain could hear the boy whimpering words of forgiveness or something other; it was useless though, no god would hear him today.

"Look how far the mighty Uchiha have fallen." Sasuke warily looked up from his prone position, looking in all directions trying to find the source of the noise; he looked absolutely terrified. "So..the mangekyo's drawback has finally finished destroying your eyesight..how pitiful." Sasuke futilely waved his arms in front of him, attempting to ward away Pain.

"STAY BACK! DON'T TOUCH ME!" Avoiding his pitiful swats, the Human and Preta paths took both his arms and lifted him to sit on his knees in front of Deva.

"There is no point in resisting, I am already absorbing your chakra and reading your mind. There is nothing left for you to do but resign yourself to fate." Sasuke's blind eyes finally seemed to lock onto Deva's cold, toneless voice; he looked up into the eyes of his soon-to-be executioner with fear.

"Please..spare me.." He begged, it was nothing to Nagato; he was one of _hundreds_ that had asked the same thing moments before their death.

"Pitiful, you use your last words to beg. What would your family think of you now? Your brother gave everything to redeem you and yet you killed him in your lust for power. Your parents were sacrificed because of fear while all they did was show love and hope for you. There is nothing left that they love inside of this body, it is merely a shell. The former Sasuke Uchiha died long ago, think of this as a favor." Sasuke felt a pang in his heart as he was reminded of the actions of his family, he then realized that maybe there was a different path he could have followed had he chosen differently.

"Itachi.." Sasuke whispered as Deva lifted its arm into the air and formed a chakra blade. "Mother.." Deva brought it down and leveled it a short distance from the boy's heart, preparing for the final move. "...I'm sorry." Pain launched his arm forward and impaled Sasuke on his blade, successfully piercing his heart and ending the boy's life.

"This god..acknowledges your apology." Pain noted as the boy showed signs of redemption in his final moments, something a lesser man like Madara would never admit to.

He shucked the boy's body off of his blade and retracted it back into his body. Nagato was feeling quite weakened after the battle was over, suddenly realizing his adrenaline kept him in the dark over his bodies grim condition. Seeing that he had little time to spare, the Human path picked Sasuke's body up and headed back for Uzugakure.

000

Madara felt something in the back of his mind and looked off in a seemingly random direction. His thoughts were clouded with a variety of emotions; disappointment, expectation, pity and even laughter. One of the men near him saw him stop moving and questioned his leader.

"Sir, is something wrong?" Madara turned his attention back to the trail and kept walking with little else on the matter to say.

"No, keep moving."

_'Sasuke has died..that is one loose end gone.'_

000

_Uzugakure_

_Uzukage Tower_

In a flash of light the six paths were in the empty, dark room of Naruto's job place. Deva grabbed an empty scroll, wrote a few notes down with a brush and ink and finally sealed Sasuke's body away for a proper burial. If he had behaved differently at the end, Pain would have left him to rot in the muddy earth; with his final request of forgiveness though, Nagato felt generous enough.

A cough of blood on Nagato's end made all the paths stiffen for a moment, his end was drawing near. With little else to do, Nagato recalled his paths back to him. He wanted to make sure that only Naruto would find their dead corpses and he wanted to make sure Yahiko would receive a proper burial.

Going through a few hand signs, Nagato used what was left of his chakra to awaken the seventh path and bring back to life those killed by Sasuke that night. With the boy's confession and the need for able bodied shinobi for the coming battle, Nagato knew that he had to use the last of his powers wisely.

000

_Uzu Island_

_Nagato's Hideaway_

As he waited for his bodies to return, Nagato struggled to keep conscious as the internal damage to his body began to leak over to his outer appearance. His bleeding was now emanating from his back as well as his mouth and his breathing was very erratic as his lungs worked harder to take in the desired amount of oxygen.

Whether it be an illusion brought on by his dire situation or a gift from kami, Nagato saw in front of him a small rift in space. Within it was his dear friend, Yahiko; the boy was in his old Ame overcoat, the same one that he wore the day he died. His face was bright and cheerful, exactly like it was when all three orphans were with Jiraiya; like when they were a family.

"Yahiko.." Nagato despite his condition garbled out a greetings through a bloody smile, to his disappointment the boy did not say anything back; he merely stood there with a smile, beckoning Nagato to come closer. "I'm sorry Yahiko..*cough*..I wasn't the messiah you thought I could be..*cough*!" More blood erupted from his mouth and stained the rocky ground below him; Yahiko frowned at the sight of his friend.

Nagato began to smile as he remembered Naruto, that boy was the true messiah of peace. Yahiko seemed to notice his upbeat attitude and smiled again.

"I know I didn't..*cough*give the world peace like I promised..but I..*cough*..found someone else that could do it better than I. Please Yahiko..give Naruto..your blessing!*cough*" Again Nagato found himself at odds with his coughing, now finding it very difficult to talk with blood coming up from his esophagus.

Yahiko nodded his head once and then reached his hand forward, through the 'portal' and towards Nagato's unmoving form. With a little burst of energy, Nagato slowly detached his left arm from the machine and weakly reached out to grab his friend's hand.

"Hang on..*wheeze*..I'm coming." When their hands touched, Nagato felt a light feeling inside his frail body slowly leave himself and felt a pull that would send him through the portal to Yahiko.

He now realized that this was Kami's way of delivering him to the afterlife, and he wanted to thank the kind god for allowing him to see Yahiko once more. Once his entire body had been pulled through the rift, it disappeared leaving a shell of a body behind and six fallen puppets at the mouth of the cave.

The god amongst men had passed on.

000

_Land of Sound_

Jiraiya was running through the trees, jumping from branch to branch in search of the entrance to Orochimaru's current lair. With use of the Great Toad Sage's crystal ball, they were able to locate Orochimaru's location which Jiraiya desperately needed. He had to speak to his teammate, it was urgent business with the oncoming attack of Konoha.

He felt a few chakra signatures approaching him and knew he had little time to play games. He quickly went through hand signs in mid hop and launched a large flame bullet forward through the trees. Three bodies fell to the ground, burnt and writhing in utter pain from the attack. The Sound shinobi had thought they would ambush the trespasser when in reality they were no match for the particular invader.

Jiraiya created a rasengan in his palm and launched forward into an empty spot on a tree branch. He was rewarded with a scream and blood when the Sound shinobi reappeared from his chameleon technique and slammed into the tree behind him. Jiraiya could feel no more presences and continued on, this time without any obstacles along the way.

_'I must close if they bothered to attack me now. Come out Orochimaru, I know you're here.'_

It wasn't long before Jiraiya's keen eyes found purchase with a steel door that was up against a large piece of rock. With a single strong punch, the door came crashing down and allowed Jiraiya easy entrance to his old friend's lair. His 'cool' pose only lasted a moment before he broke down into tears and nursed his hurt hand from hitting a _heavy steel door_.

"OUCH!"

000

_Land of Sound_

_Orochimaru's Hideout_

Kabuto was on his way to attend to his master with some medicine when a faint echo emanated from down the long hallway of rock. He thought it sounded like a person but shrugged it off as impossible before continuing to walk down the hall. With his primary host gone, Orochimaru could only delay his inevitable death with drugs that Kabuto cooked up, but the silver haired boy was running out of formula to keep his master alive.

They had few options anyway since the Land of Sound was falling apart without an active leader. Orochimaru was now confined to his bed, no longer strong enough to get up and walk. Only a miracle could bring him back to his original strength, Kabuto had hoped to find a solution but there was none. His master had also been quiet on the fact he was dying, a far outcry from the complaints he had been expecting.

_'Perhaps Orochimaru-sama has a plan..or maybe he has finally accepted his dream of immortality is coming to an end. What will I do when he is dead?'_ Kabuto honestly didn't know the answer, he would be killed if he returned to the Leaf but he was considered a criminal everywhere but the Sound.

It wouldn't last though as his immunity from being within Sound would falter upon his master's death; without Orochimaru, there was no Sound. He was the village leader, lead scientist, and practically the ruler over the entire nation of Rice Fields. Once the neighboring countries received word of his death, they would see the weakness and attempt to invade.

He knocked on the door of his master's room upon arriving and received a feeble 'Come in!' from Orochimaru. Kabuto opened the door to find the pitiful form of his master laying in bed as if he had come down with a common cold.

It wasn't any normal sickness though, it was the rejection of the previous host's body and his age that kept him so weak. Kabuto began to move towards his master but stopped when Orochimaru held up a hand, a scowl on his features told him something was wrong.

"I'm disappointed Kabuto, I expected that you were better than that." His eyes narrowed in confusion and his brow crinkled as he attempted to decipher what he meant.

"What do you mean Orochimaru-sama?" The pale man scoffed and pointed at the boy's shadow, created from the candles that hung from the walls of the room.

It began to change shape and forced Kabuto to jump away from it, close to Orochimaru. Jiraiya appeared and cracked his joints from being in such an uncomfortable spot for that long period of time. Kabuto glared at the newcomer and got out a kunai; he was prepared to defend Orochimaru to the death if necessary.

"Jiraiya..how unpleasant it is to see you." Orochimaru seethed, his usual sarcasm was gone in place to pessimism due to his dire situation.

The pale haired man looked his old teammate up and down and gave a hearty laugh that was full of pity. The snake Sannin scowled and felt the urge to crush the man's neck only to realize he could barely move.

"Shut up you bastard!" Kabuto yelled out, clutching his kunai tightly as he waited for the attack; Jiraiya calmed himself a bit and allowed a smile to grace his face despite the tense situation.

"Orochimaru..I thought you were stronger than that! I guess the years haven't been to kind to you since we last met." The scowl did not disappear from the man's face and he sneered in angry disgust.

"What the hell do you want Jiraiya? Finally come to kill me? It is sad that you have to come and do it when I can no longer fight back." Jiraiya's smile turned to a serious scowl as he looked his old comrade in the eye, trying to show how serious him being there was.

"No.." Orochimaru's eyes widened as Jiraiya denied his guess. "I've come to ask for your help." Both Orochimaru and Kabuto's eyes widened at the sound of that, Jiraiya wanted _their_ help?

000

_Land of Fire_

_Konohagakure Outskirts_

Madara was nearing Konoha, his men were already beginning the final preparations of the assault. The plan was simple, take control of the beasts and summon them right in the midst of Konoha's surprised defenders. The village would be annihilated in an instant with the power of four tailed beasts, it would not take a moment longer for Madara to accomplish his revenge.

"Sir, we are awaiting your order to crack the seals!" Madara turned his attention to the men that surrounded each of the pots and brought his hands up to signal them to begin.

"Go! Release the beasts from the containers!"

_'It is almost time, even Hashirama Senju himself couldn't stop me now!'_

000

_Land of Iron_

_Iron Castle_

_Kage Meeting_

"..And so I suggest we unite or intelligence divisions into one organization." A finished his speech, bringing the Kages' attention to the benefits of combining their forces.

"That is all well and good, but when will we strike back against Madara?" Onoki wondered out loud to the group; they had done so much preparation yet had not made a single claim to attack.

"We have no target; Kiri is merely a puppet to Madara. We must wait until he reveals himself to challenge him." Gaara reminded the Tsuchikage who gave a huff of frustration before quieting down.

"Can we defeat him though when we don't even know his strength?" Tsunade muttered, loud enough for the other kage to hear; Onoki grunted.

"I fought him once, I may be able to offer some insight. It would be better if we could speak with that Shodai of yours, Hashirama. Too bad he kicked the bucket." Tsunade glared at him for speaking so freely of her grandfather's death but said nothing.

A loud knocking came to the door of the large meeting room, since then repaired from Sasuke's original assault. The doubled Samurai guard within the room stiffened and moved toward the door, their swords up and ready. The captain with the wolf pelt on his back signaled the men to open it and they pulled on the heavy slab doors to open. As they expected the enemy to emerge from the hallway, all the men present had to incline their heads down to see the small toad messenger that was waving at them.

"Yo! Is Tsunade here?" The woman in question looked over towards the door and saw a toad, one that was affiliated with Fukasaku.

"Yes, I am right here!" The toad looked over and smiled at the sight of her, quickly hopping on the table by the other surprised Kage and giving her a message scroll from his back.

Tsunade opened the scroll quickly with curious eyes and found out soon just how dire the situation was at home. The other kage watched as her eyes widened and her breathing became heavy, obviously indicating something was very wrong.

"What is it Tsunade?" A questioned, concerned for the female Hokage; she looked up from the scroll with trembling hands and dropped it on the table.

"Konoha is about to come under attack by Madara! He is going to use the tailed beasts on the village!" The collective gasps from around the room were enough to show the shock of the news and A immediately stood up from his seat.

"We must rally the troops and head for Konoha! This is our chance to defeat Madara once and for all!" Onoki huffed and signaled for Akatsuchi to come and pick him up; the big man put the leader on his back.

"We don't have much time, we have to head for our villages immediately!" The other kage nodded and Mifune turned towards his bodyguards.

"Order the platoons on standby to prepare for marching orders, we head for Konoha!" Just as the man was reaching for his transceiver, a kunai flew through the air from an unseen location and slit the man's throat.

"I'm afraid we can't allow any of you to leave this place." The kage looked up into the stands of the room to find dozens of Root shinobi surrounding them.

The samurai looked ready to charge forward but secretly placed explosive tags erupted on the wall behind them and killed them all in a dirty trick. With the Kage now left only with their bodyguards, the leader of this ambush made his appearance known.

Tsunade scowled at the sight of Danzo calmly finding a spot within the wall of Root forces as he smiled at them. The old man had been waiting for the meeting to adjourn before showing himself, now it was his turn to finish the battle in a blaze of glory. With little else to say, Danzo signaled for his men to launch their attack at the bewildered kage.

000

_Uzu Island_

_Mountain of Fire_

Naruto sat on the very edge of the volcano, in a meditative form with his palms up against each other in quiet concentration. The rainclouds were not tall enough to reach the height of the volcano's mouth so it allowed Naruto peace for his training. The lava monkeys surrounded him, quietly watching him as he began the first stage of training.

"Master Yomusha, please remind me again of the first phase and its point." The large monkey cleared its throat and began to speak again to remind the boy the importance of the first part.

"This stage of training is what all crimsonbacks are subjected to and upon its completion, you will be an honorary crimsonback yourself. It encourages inner balance with your physical and spiritual energy as you meditate near a very dangerous and very real hazard; the volcano. After you can completely still your chakra and find a peaceful medium, we will take you lower into the mouth so you will sit on a very hot ledge of cooled magma. Once you can handle that, you will allow scolding lava to hit and burn your back, effectively making you a 'crimsonback'. We have been able to survive this by conditioning our bodies through training and from our ancestor's hardy skin; that is also where all humans have so far died. It is up to you to find a way to survive and accustom yourself to the lava so that you may not be hurt by it." Naruto opened his eyes for a moment to look at Yomusha, his shirt was off so there was nothing that protected Naruto from the heat behind him; it felt like tiny blisters were erupting on his skin.

"What will happen after that?" Yomusha looked to Yomara to explain the final step and the younger monkey spoke up.

"Naruto-sama, if you can successfully survive and accustom your body to the extreme heat of the lava, you will then move onto the final stage. In the final stage you must completely submerge yourself in the lava and find balance. It will be extremely difficult if not impossible to do, but if you can stay alive while being completely unmoving, you can absorb the natural heat or otherwise known as geothermal energy into your body. This will augment you in a variety of ways, but what we really wish to see is the fabled 'Avatar' form. It is said that only the Four Tails himself was able to accomplish this and that the ability was passed onto his jinchuuriki through his chakra. If you can master that form..you will be a demigod among men and without match." Naruto had no idea how he was going to survive such a rigorous training regimen but the sound of reward was too high for him to refuse.

_'I promised everyone that I would accomplish this. Mei has confidence in me..I can't fail!'_

"Understood.." He looked eyes with the monkeys and proudly told them his decision. "I'll get it done in two weeks!"

000

Well I finished this chapter pretty quick, much quicker than I bet you were expecting. Looks like things are already looking up for me finishing this story eh? I would also like to thank everyone for the great outcome of last chapter's reviews, there was a lot more than usual which I appreciate. A lot of stuff happened here and I outlined the Lava or 'Geothermal' training that has been so long awaited for. Just wait until Naruto tries to learn Avatar form, guh it is gonna be mad crazy!

Review!

Bye!


	30. Reunion with Blood, Konoha's Shodai!

Uzumaki Clan's Rebirth

Chapter 30

Reunion with Blood, Konoha's Shodai Reborn!

**Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO!**

"speaking"

_'thinking'_

"**Jutsu**"

**"Tailed Beast Speak"**

"_Radio Speak"_

NaruxMei

**BLOODLINE WARNING**: Naruto uses **Lava** and **Boil** Release in this story. He has three elements in total because of his bloodlimit, Fire, Water, and Earth.

**Arc: Uzu no Kuni, 6th Elemental Nation!**

I will warn you now, so that you don't leave me angry reviews, Orochimaru is probably going to seem OOC. I was trying to go for a subtle influence from Jiraiya affecting his persona or maybe even a little bit of the Will of Fire left in his heart, but I don't think I got it across very well. By giving you this warning in the author note though, I feel better knowing that I am at least telling you _why_ I made him act the way I did.

I'm also going to warn that I am probably stretching the abilities of human interaction with the Shinigami. To that end, I will remind everyone this is fanfiction and certain parts of Naruto might have to be stretched or taken for granted for simple progression of the story.

Also, be sure to go to my profile and vote in the poll. I'm curious as to your thoughts on my future stories and I also suggest that you check in on my profile often, I often come up with new poll ideas and upload them.

000

_Land of Sound_

_Orochimaru's Hideaway_

"My help..? What the hell does that mean?" Orochimaru was at first surprised but it was soon replaced with anger, was it some sort of joke.

Jiraiya kept his poker face though, it was no joke. To defeat the tailed beasts they would need an expert on fighting them, let alone countering Madara's interference. Because Jiraiya had no experience in the forbidden arts of revival techniques, he had to go to the man who perfected it, Orochimaru.

"I need you to summon a dead person with the Edo Tensei, can you do it?" Orochimaru's surprise lowered back down to a comfortable smirk and he began to laugh; this irritated Jiraiya.

"Hahaha! You want to revive someone? You want _me_ to do it? I thought you were better than that Jiraiya, having to use such a forbidden technique. Why would you want their soul to suffer by bringing them back to this hell?" Jiraiya crossed his arms and decided that it was best to explain the situation.

"Orochimaru, Madara Uchiha is alive and well; in fact he is the leader of Akatsuki. Right now he is on his way to Konoha with _four_ tailed beasts just waiting to unleash them on the village. I know you don't care about Konoha but the least you can do is hear me out!" Orochimaru was surprised to hear that Madara was going to use four tailed beasts on Konoha, however, as Jiraiya said he really didn't care.

"Fine then, I'll humor you. Why should I help you?" Jiraiya let out a breath he had been holding it, at least his old teammate would hear him out.

"Well I can see that you are sick, how about I find a way to cure you?" Orochimaru scowled at the man for his pitiful offer and waved an arm towards Kabuto.

"You really think you can find a cure? Kabuto has tried everything and yet I'm still bedridden. I have no host to transfer into, I will be dead soon! Why should I even bother to trust that you could fulfill that promise when we have been enemies for ages?"

"Because we are teammates! No matter if you are a traitor to the village or not, that doesn't mean the time we were together was lost! I loved you like a brother, you were the greatest rival I could ask for but you had to leave the village so you could gain immortality. That hit everyone hard, but it hit me the hardest; that was why I went after you, to get a straight answer!" Orochimaru realized it was turning into a shouting match over their past and decided to defend himself.

"That damned village could offer me nothing! I learned the techniques, did the missions, tried to become Hokage; everything I did wasn't enough! My experiments were prohibited and my rightful place as Yondaime was given to that damn brat you trained! What was left for me? Nothing! Your pitiful attempt to get me to come back only solidified my choice, nothing has changed!" Jiraiya gritted his teeth as he listened to his teammate talk trash about the village, it made him cringe with anger.

"Have you really lost all your feelings from when you were in Konoha? When we were on a team, wasn't that fun, rewarding even? Can you really say that you no longer have any ties with the village?" Orochimaru smiled, an evil smile that just made Jiraiya scowl.

"Oh of course I have ties with the village Jiraiya, if of course they will net me more power! The only thing left in me is bitter hatred, now get out of here!" Jiraiya wasn't about to leave though, he needed Orochimaru's help.

"Since I haven't forgotten what it means to be a real teammate, I'll offer _my_ body to be your next host! Just please, help save Konoha with me!" The two sound ninja were taken aback by Jiraiya's offer, was he really willing to sacrifice himself?

"What are you saying? Do you even understand the basis of Orochimaru-sama's technique? You are too old, your body would reject him within a few moments! It's hopeless to try and barter with that argument." Orochimaru said nothing as Kabuto explained the basic details of the technique to Jiraiya.

"There has to be some way! Maybe we can get Tsunade to heal you or maybe find someone that is acceptable, anything!" Orochimaru was again surprised by Jiraiya's attitude, the man seemed as if he was going insane with desperation.

"What the hell is the matter with you Jiraiya? Why are you trying so hard for Konoha? It has done nothing for you, even your precious Tsunade never fell for you. Why are you bartering for their lives like a beggar in the streets?" Jiraiya looked down at the floor, trying his best to formulate an answer.

"It's not just for Konoha, I'm doing this because you were once my teammate, I haven't forgotten it like you have. Even if you don't have any desire to help Konoha, the least you can do is help me one last time. I can't force you, so its up to you whether Konoha gets the help it needs or not." Orochimaru shook his head, the man forgot who he was talking to; he was the bitter hater of the leaf.

"You were going to try and get me to summon the Shodai Hokage, weren't you?" Jiraiya looked at him with surprise at how he saw through his plan but nodded anyway. "You wanted to control the Tailed Beasts leaving Madara without an army. Well even if I was willing, the man is trapped in the stomach of the death god, we can't get him out without contacting the god himself." Jiraiya smirked and pointed a thumb at his chest in triumph.

"The Third showed me the technique to summon him, all I need is your cooperation and we can have the Shodai up and running pretty quick." Orochimaru was again amazed by Jiraiya's spontaneity but thought little of it.

"We would also need a sacrifice, a _living_ one. There isn't any chance that we can find one on such short notice." Jiraiya had thought of that, but the specifics were where things began to get fuzzy.

"Well, I was planning on sacrificing myself if you didn't have a better idea.." Orochimaru was again surprised at how casual his teammate suggested his own death, what happened to Jiraiya?

"Are you sure that would be such a good idea? I thought you were supposed to help heal me.." The man gave an apologetic smile and scratched the back of his head.

"Sorry..these little details are a bit difficult for me to keep track of." Orochimaru sighed, there was his old teammate with his annoying forgetfulness.

"Orochimaru-sama, you can't actually be thinking of _accepting _his offer! He's from Konoha, he could just be lying!" Kabuto argued, he had expected Orochimaru to do something about Jiraiya yet here he remained in his bed chambers.

"Kabuto, I am dying, there is little point in being stubborn. Even if he was lying and he was here to kill me, I am about to die anyway. I could sacrifice myself and get some vengeance against Akatsuki with my last breath, it would be better than laying in this bed waiting to die." Jiraiya's eyes widened as his friend brainstormed out loud; he couldn't be considering being the sacrifice?

"Orochimaru! I thought we discussed that if anything _I_ would be the sacrifice, you still have a chance to get healed or get a new host; I don't know that technique, I'm not immortal. You still have to learn the world's jutsu right?" Orochimaru began to chuckle at Jiraiya's hasty reprimand of his idea when the reality was he couldn't comprehend Orochimaru's thoughts.

_'I'm not so sure I even understand myself these days..maybe it is the influence of the drugs..but I feel like being a little heroic in my last moments. It would be sweet irony for the leaf to be saved by one of its greatest defectors. I can just imagine their faces now..'_

"Summon the death god Jiraiya, let's get this over with." The man looked as if he was going to protest further but Orochimaru caught him off with a glare and a coughing fit.

"Fine.." Jiraiya dejectedly admitted, going through the hand signs and summoning the death god himself; the floating specter floated right behind the white haired man.

"**Why has a mortal summoned me?"** The death god, impatient as ever went straight to the point as he saw the three men inside the room.

"Shinigami-sama, we would like to request that you allow us to temporarily revive one of the souls in your stomach. We are in dire need of his abilities.." A loud roar from the god quieted Jiraiya, fearful of getting on his bad side.

"**That is impossible! All the souls consumed by me are in a never ending struggle with the ones who placed them there, they cannot be removed so easily!"** Jiraiya gulped and turned towards Orochimaru who was beginning the preparations for the resurrection with Kabuto.

"Please Shinigami-sama, there must be some deal we can work out to just have the spirit temporarily leave and return. Just for a few hours, that is all I ask!" Jiraiya got on his knees to beg, surprising the omniscient god.

"**Is it really that important? A shinobi bowing so low..could this be a true human crisis?"** Jiraiya nodded his head multiple times, they were practically desperate; he looked up to see the Shinigami looking off into space as he was thinking.

"**It may be done if and only if the soul is on loan and will be returned to me shortly. Also, as this should not become a common thing, I must ask for another sacrifice to come back along with the soul of your chosen warrior."** Jiraiya's eyes widened at the hearing of a second sacrifice to appease the death god, he turned around to see Orochimaru's thoughts on it.

"Does it require any specific criteria?" Jiraiya questioned and the Shinigami shook its head negatively; he turned to Orochimaru and patted his chest. "I can be the second sacrifice if you will be the one to inherit the soul Orochimaru." The pale man shook his head to Jiraiya's volunteering, it wasn't a good plan at all.

"No, the Shodai will need someone here to guide him to Konoha and explain the situation. Since you are the one that came up with the idea, you must be the one to lead him. I'm dying Jiraiya..even if I wanted to, I couldn't change hosts anymore, all that is left is for me to try and do something with my life. I'm not asking for redemption, I'm just asking for a worthy way to die. What better way than to become the Shodai incarnated?" Jiraiya swallowed a lump in his throat, was Orochimaru really willing to go through with it? That was a shock to both Kabuto and the Toad Sage.

"**If he shall not be the sacrifice, then who will?"** Orochimaru grimaced when he did not have an answer when Kabuto sighed and volunteered.

"I"ll do it." Jiraiya looked at the boy with surprise, he had no reason to volunteer when he had a future.

"Kabuto..I understand you are loyal to me but you aren't needed here." Kabuto adjusted his glasses and had a small smile on his face, surprising the Sannin.

"Orochimaru-sama, I have nothing left after you die. I am an international criminal, all the countries of the world will be after me when Akatsuki is gone. I've also found that I function best as a follower, not a leader; if you die and I live, who will I follow orders from? Besides.." Kabuto turned towards his master and smirked. "You would be nothing without my advice and help in the afterlife." Orochimaru's grimace turned to a smirk and he chuckled darkly.

"If this was a different situation Kabuto, I would demand an explanation of that talk. But in this case..I'll take that as a compliment." Kabuto bowed his head as Jiraiya said nothing, there was nothing to say as it seemed his friend was convinced of his mission.

"**Let us finish this! Begin your resurrection jutsu!"** Orochimaru summoned a coffin labeled with the endearing kanji for 'First', as such for the one they would be summoning.

"Jiraiya, help me get to the coffin, I can't walk.." Jiraiya quickly moved to his old friend's bedside and gently lifted him up, balancing him with an arm over his shoulders.

"Orochimaru, are you sure?" Jiraiya had to ask one last time, this was the last chance he had to take back his place as the sacrifice; Orochimaru shook his head and entered the tall standing coffin.

"I guess this is goodbye Jiraiya, just remember, don't let the Leaf look at this as a favor from me. I'm not really doing it for them, this is just so I can die with some dignity." Jiraiya, despite himself, smiled at his old friend's words and wiped his eyes a little bit.

"Yeah, you got it pal." Orochimaru nodded and held up the final hand sign for Edo Tensei, causing the coffin to slowly close and cover him inside.

"**Human! Come forward so I may absorb your soul, your master will follow you into the afterlife when it is time for Hashirama's soul to return!"** Kabuto came towards the sound of the voice and felt a ghostly appendage slam into his stomach, causing him to gasp out in surprise and pain.

The Shinigami pulled on Kabuto's soul and ripped it from within him, its blue aura writhing in pain as his body fell pale and limp. Without even a final word, Kabuto's body hit the floor and the reaper ate it whole, leaving it confined to its stomach. With that action done, the spirit regurgitated a soul to attempt to release Hashirama from its jail.

Holding it in his arms, the screaming head of a soul was revealed to be his brother, Tobirama. The shinigami shook its head and ate Tobirama again, preparing for a second time to find Hashirama. With a final tug from its esophagus, the soul of Hashirama was revealed. It looked as if it was in constant pain, no doubt from its current living conditions in the reaper's stomach.

With little finesse, the reaper threw the soul at the coffin and Hashirama entered and took control of Orochimaru's body. All of this went unseen by Jiraiya as the coffin was sealed and the reaper began to fade away.

"**I will absorb their souls in six hours time, beware of my return."** Jiraiya could only nod in silence as the reaper disappeared, leaving him alone with the coffin.

He turned towards it now, to see the final act of a dreadful play. With a sickening 'creak', the wooden hinges came off and the coffin's lid began to fall forward to reveal the contents. As if to heighten the suspense, a wind blew from the coffin and snuffed the flames of all the candles leaving Jiraiya in the dark. A loud 'crack' echoed around the room when the lid hit the ground and made Jiraiya scramble to find light.

Holding up a ram hand sign, Jiraiya focused his chakra and created a small flame in the palm of his hand. He held it up towards the coffin to try and catch a peek but found it too weak. Feeling as if the suspense was killing him, Jiraiya spoke softly to try and rouse the attention of the figure occupying the coffin.

"Orochimaru, is that you? Was it a success?" The figure took a step forward, somewhat stumbling as it got used to walking again after so much time.

Jiraiya's eyes widened when a deep, warm voice began to fill the room. It wasn't the cold, hissing of Orochimaru's usual speech pattern; it could only mean one outcome.

"Orochimaru? No..my name is Hashirama Senju." The fire fully illuminated the figure now as he stepped into range, a smile splaying over the wizened kage's features. "Perhaps you can tell my why, or even how, I have been summoned again after being sealed into the death god's stomach?"

Jiraiya gulped, he had never spoken to the First Hokage before; hell he had only seen his face in pictures and heard about him in school or from his sensei. The man was kind though, it radiated off of him like heat from a candle. There was no doubt in the Sannin's mind why people chose him to be the leader of Konoha, his charisma was off the charts.

"Shodai-sama.." Jiraiya could barely say anything, still in shock over the ordeal; the First seemed to notice this and his smile increased.

"I see that you must be a Leaf shinobi, the Will of Fire burns bright in you. Perhaps you can tell my why I am here and then we can go from there." Jiraiya nodded dumbly, his mind needed a stimulus to work himself out of shock.

"I summoned the death god to work out a deal to bring you back for a short time. The village of Konoha is in danger, _great _danger. I hate to release you so suddenly Hokage, but our enemy is not a normal one, we need your special abilities to have victory." Hashirama's eyes widened in surprise and then narrowed, realizing just how serious it was.

"I see..if you went through all this trouble to get me here, I can only guess that this is truly a danger. Tell me though, who is this enemy?" Jiraiya's eyes narrowed and Hashirama tried to guess the man's thought process, nothing could have prepared him though for the answer.

"Madara Uchiha!" Hashirama was frozen solid, he couldn't believe that his old rival's name would be brought up let alone be told that he was alive?

"But..I killed Madara at the Valley of the End. How can he be alive?" Jiraiya sighed, if only the First really had killed him back then; it would have saved everyone a lot of trouble.

"It seems he was able to live through that battle and now he is endangering the world with a plot of world domination. The reason why I summoned you though wasn't because he is our enemy, its what he is using against us is what troubles me." Hashirama caught on but again could only look at Jiraiya with shock.

"He is using the tailed beasts? They should all be inside jinchuuriki by now though, how can he harness their power?" It didn't make any sense, Madara had always been a genius but to go as far as to learn how to pull beast's from their containers was such a sadistic jutsu.

"I don't understand how he was able to learn how, but he has so far captured four jinchuuriki and their tailed beasts. He is preparing to use them against Konoha and you and I need to go stop them." Again Hashirama was overwhelmed with the sheer level of information being spoken to him; _four_ tailed beasts?

"That is..I can't believe it..my old nemesis really does mean to bury Konoha because of his hate. _Four_ tailed beasts.." Hashirama was mumbling to himself, still in disbelief; Jiraiya was about to rouse him from his musings when the man looked into his eyes with a very stern look, somewhat surprising him.

"I understand, let's get going. I will stop him, it is my fault it has gotten this bad in the first place." Jiraiya nodded and led him out of the room and out into the base.

"We have to hurry, there is no telling when the attack will start and we are many miles away!" Hashirama silently cursed as he followed Jiraiya, trying his best to figure out a plan of attack. His eyes widened when the thought of his necklace came up, the last he remembered was giving it to Tsunade.

"Boy, what has happened to my necklace? Last I remember it was in the hands of my granddaughter, Tsunade." Jiraiya looked to him and thought about it for a second, remembering that Naruto had already given it back to her; Tsunade was crushed after that and couldn't find it in herself to wear it, she kept it in the desk inside the Hokage office.

"It's in Konoha, we can get it there."

_'Hang in there gramps, I am on my way!'_

000

_Land of Fire_

_Konohagakure Outskirts_

_Madara's Staging Area_

Madara stood on a tree branch, silently waiting for the sealing process to finish. Around each strategically placed was at least a dozen shinobi, all holding scrolls in their mouths and whispering incantations as they went through hand signs. A circle drawn in blood surrounded each large pot, the symbols were lighting up in an eery green as the tailed beasts were slowly pulled out from the containers.

"_Hitsuji, Saru, Hitsuji, Uma, Mi, Tori, Mi, Hitsuji, Tora, Ne, Uma, Ne, Uma, U, Saru, Hitsuji, Mi, Tatsu, Inu, I, Inu, Tatsu, Tori, U, Hitsuji, Saru, Uma, Saru.."_ Their endless chants droned in Madara's ears, a lesser man would have gone insane with annoyance; Madara zoned it all out with sheer excitement.

_'Soon..oh very soon.'_

"_U, Uma, U, Ne, Tora, Hitsuji, I, Hitsuji, Tora, Saru, Mi, Saru, Mi, Hitsuji!_ **Tailed Beast Container: Release!**" The men removed their scrolls from their mouths and and placed them in the corresponding positions on the glowing circle in front of them; the light intensified and raced towards the pots that were in the center of each ring.

The kanji that indicated their numbers lit up and the tops of the pots began to creak open, tailed beast energy leaked out of each one as the men scrambled to find some distance. The heavy release of energy cracked the ground and sent fissures coursing through the dirt; gale force winds began to blow as the chakra began to take a corporeal shape in the world. Madara watched as the four tailed beasts soon to be under his control manifested in their beastly forms, easily towering over the forest they were summoned in.

"THAT'S IT! COME ON OUT TO PLAY TAILED BEASTS! LOOK INTO MY EYES AND FEEL THE CONTROL OF THE SHARINGAN!" With their attention grabbed, Madara placed the simple beasts under a genjutsu of control; sharingans replaced their pupils as the tailed beasts fell sway to his control with ease.

As it was only a short way to Konoha, Madara felt the urge to walk there with his 'pets' obediently following behind. It would be grand entrance that kicked off the even grander demise of the Village Hidden in the Leaf. His men scrambled and tried their best to stay out of the beast's path as they began their monstrous stampede towards Konoha, each footstep a mini earthquake was heard and felt.

_'With the amount of energy released from the summoning, it is only a matter of time before the Leaf sends squads to check it out. No matter..I will just have the men under my command deal with them. They are nothing but flies compared to the beasts I hold under my control now.'_

"Sir, Konoha squads are coming! What should we do?" One of his men shouted out to him, frightened towards the summons but even more worried about the response from Konoha.

"Go and eliminate them, nothing can stand in the way of the beast's advance!" The Kiri shinobi dispersed and soon 'clacks' and flashes of light could be seen in the distant foliage, evidence the battle had already begun.

_'Time to test out their abilities!'_

"What better way to start this off but with a BANG!" The Seven Tails, A large Rhinoceros Beetle with wings for tails, brought its head up and slammed its horns right into the ground where the battle was taking place.

Compared to the earthquakes from their steps, the utter chaos created from the headbutt that ripples of the shock wave were sent in all directions of the continent. Tsunami like waves formed in the oceans many miles away and entire villages that happened to be nearby were demolished in an instant. Konoha had its warning, the Chakra Monsters had arrived.

As Madara strode past the huge crater, he saw the bodies and crushed remains of what were once his forces. He merely shook his head and continued on, a worthy sacrifice for his ambitions.

000

_Konohagakure_

_Hokage's Home_

_Office_

Koharu and Homura were inside the Hokage's Office, looking after things while she was away. It had been relatively quiet since she had left a few days ago, leaving the advisers with little to do but stand around and think. While they did not necessarily enjoy the aspect of allying with the other villages, neither could say it wasn't a good idea considering situation they were in facing Akatsuki. Also, without the deterrent of owning the Nine Tails jinchuuriki, they were without the power they once had.

Reflecting on Naruto, they still held by the belief that it would be a better idea to reel him back in and hold him inside the village. While it would be next to impossible now that he had gone and 'reestablished' Uzugakure, it was only right the Nine Tails remained with Konoha and the Land of Fire. A young boy like him did not understand such power or the qualities needed to be a kage, he was nothing but an impostor and a disgrace to the title in their eyes.

But, as mere advisers and retired shinobi, they had little influence on the workings of current Konoha. With their biggest supporter Danzo gone and joined with Akatsuki, they had little choice but to follow through with the Hokage's thinking. They could only hope it would not ultimately destroy them in the end.

"Koharu, when shall we have Kakashi Hatake's execution scheduled?" Homura suddenly asked the elderly woman, breaking the silence between them for quite some time.

"Hmm..perhaps after Akatsuki is defeated? Then again, that could be too long from now. His death will hopefully garner further support in the effort to recapture the Nine Tails jinchuuriki from Uzu. It has to be timed right if we wish to succeed." Homura nodded, he began to write a few notes down on a scroll before stuffing it back into his robe.

"It shouldn't be long before the Hokage returns, we can discuss it with her and see how the alliance is preparing to deal with Akatsuki. I believe a swift move is necessary against Madara, otherwise he will wriggle from our grasp again." Koharu nodded in agreement to his words and looked out the window to the village, noticing the darkening clouds coupled with the late evening made the entire sky seem black.

A sudden shaking hit the room and both had trouble finding purchase in staying up. Koharu found her balance with the windowsill and chair while Homura was forced to his knees by the earthquake. As suddenly as it began though, the quake ended leaving the elders confused as to the reason behind such a rare phenomenon. It was answered quickly by the elder toad couple who had just entered the office in a puff of smoke.

"Madara Uchiha is here! He has brought his tailed beasts to destroy Konoha! You must prepare yourselves!" Fukasaku quickly yelled out in warning, out of breathe from going at full speed to get to Konoha in record time.

The elders looked at them with confused expressions, they were not sure they heard right. Madara Uchiha was there? With Tailed Beasts? The toads' theory was quickly backed up when an ANBU arrived and knelt before the two elders.

"Report!" Homura ordered, a certain edge to his voice as his mind began to fret over the few possibilities of what really happened.

_'Either it really was a natural occurrence or something very powerful created it. The question is though, which one is it? I dearly hope it is the former..'_

"Homura-sama, Koharu-sama, four extremely large chakra signatures have been felt to be approaching the village from the North! We believe it has something to do with the recent earthquake that hit the village, we have no visual of the source of the chakra though." The advisers exchanged glances as they knew that the toads were right, Madara had come.

"This is no natural occurrence Homura!" Koharu warned, turning towards the ANBU and began to speak with an orderly tone. "Put the village on a level One emergency, all available shinobi teams should head to the North wall and prepare to sortie against the incoming enemy forces. Have Shizune prepare the Medical Corps and get the hospital prepped, there will be many wounded coming in!" The ANBU seemed startled from the amount of orders but knew not to question, only to obey.

"Yes Ma'am!" He saluted and disappeared in a blur leaving Homura to summon a few more shinobi.

"The village is under a level One emergency! Move to the Academy and residential districts and begin to evacuate the children and civilians to the mountains. Tell everyone you can see and make sure the teams heading to the safe houses have their barrier scrolls with them, we can't afford to have them endangered from a stray jutsu!" The shinobi saluted and disappeared to fulfill the orders, leaving both advisers to slump in sudden exhaustion as their minds caught up with adrenaline.

"Fukasaku-sama, will your toads aid us in battle? I am afraid without you, we have little hope without the Hokage here. The best our shinobi can do is to delay them as they did the Nine Tails." Fukasaku nodded to Homura's request and began to head out the door.

"Yes, I will bring Gamabunta and the others to the North gate with a summoning. I will let you know now that other than your Hokage, more reinforcements are coming. We just have to hold out long enough! Make sure you get as many people as you can to safety! Come on Shima." The two toads left the advisers to their own devices as the village scrambled to defend themselves against an invincible enemy.

000

_Uzugakure_

_Uzumaki Compound_

Mei awoke in the early morning, nearly midnight, to a slight tremor that shook her bed. It was barely noticeable but for people like Mei who were light sleepers, it was an instant wake up call. She was about to get out of bed to investigate when a light breeze told her she had no clothes on and quickly placed her discarded robe on. Looking over to wake up Naruto, she was sadly reminded he was not in bed with her and she continued on alone.

She got up from bed and went to Roshi's room immediately, only a few steps down the hall from her own. Mei found him still asleep, albeit he did look angry with a frown on his face. With him safe, Mei went back to her own room and opened the balcony door to look outside. The rain was still going, but it was much lighter now and she could easily see outside.

What she saw completely stumped her in surprise and confusion. Dozens of shinobi, mostly ANBU, were running around the compound opening doors to homes and positioning themselves around the compound. Curious as to what was going on, Mei went to her closet and put on her usual ninja attire, a tight robe that went down to her thighs with pink shorts and armbands that matched her robe.

Running out of the house, she was immediately engaged by three shinobi. Two were hurricanes, the bodyguards of the Uzukage and his family while the other was a masked man with a red robe covering his body. Mei felt somewhat better seeing Ao on the scene, he was a level headed man and chances were that if he had given the order for the men to be there, it was with good reason.

"Mei-sama, it is good to see that you are alright. It would probably be better if you went back to bed though." Mei crossed her arms as as subtle show of dominance that she would not do as he asked, instead responding with a question.

"I just woke up, what's going on here? Why have the ANBU been deployed to the compound, this _is_ private property." She reminded the ANBU General, the clans were completely entitled to their privacy and as a rule of thumb shinobi not of that clan had no business being on the grounds.

"I'm sorry Mizu..I mean Mei-sama, but there has been an incident inside the compound. I have received orders from the Uzukage himself to sequester the ANBU and medical teams here until we receive word to do otherwise." Mei's eyes widened in surprise upon hearing the order was given by Naruto and calmed down somewhat, uncrossing her arms and relaxing. She still wanted to know what the 'incident' was though.

"What exactly happened, or do you even know?" Ao sighed and shrugged.

"Well it appears as though an infiltrator by the name of Sasuke Uchiha entered the village in an attempt to kill the Uzukage." Mei lightly gasped at the information, bringing a hand to her mouth to cover it. "But he was intercepted by an unknown friendly shinobi and led away from the village. Naruto said he trusted the person so I have no reason to doubt him, the only thing is is that we have yet to _see_ this shinobi or the Uchiha so it is impossible to confirm what either of their statuses are." Mei took the information in and stood there in silence, unsure of what to make of it.

"So, I can guess that my husband made a stop to speak to you before going off to train then?" Ao suddenly jerked his head towards her in surprise, wondering how she knew, he nodded in affirmation.

"Yes, that's right. He gave me two scrolls, one with orders to fulfill and the other to give to the Beast Tamers. I already handed over the scroll to Akeru, all that's left is to open up his orders. I haven't yet because his last orders to me were to make sure you and Roshi remained safe, I have been up all night watching the house." Mei smiled at that, glad to hear Naruto's concern for her and Roshi even when he had other pressing matters to concern himself with.

"Right, come in the house with me and let me see the scroll." The three masked shinobi fell into step behind her and they entered the Uzumaki kitchen.

Mei dismissed the two hurricanes with a subtle hand gesture, sending both of them to the entrance of the kitchen as guards. Ao took off his mask and rubbed his eye before he took out the scroll with the Uzukage's stamp on it. He handed it over to the kage-level woman and watched as she touched it with a finger and inserted some chakra into it, opening the scroll and allowing Mei to read.

_Ao, these orders must be accomplished as soon as possible. This war will be over very soon, one way or the other, so we must prepare for the final battle. I need you to get messenger birds out to every single one of our allies who have pledged military support to us. We can expect Ame to arrive soon as they are being led by one of the Akatsuki defectors, we need to rally our own forces so that we may finish Madara._

_While I would like to speak again with the Four Village Alliance, I doubt it would get us anywhere and I have little time for rhetoric. As they underestimate me because of my age, I cannot doubt that I will get little accomplished. Instead, we must rely on our own strength to win the day even if it means we must do so without the support of the elemental nations._

_Send messenger birds to:_

_Crescent Island_

_Bear Country_

_Land of Waterfalls_

_Make sure that at the end of two weeks, you prepare our armies and march for Kiri. I am almost positive that Madara will make his final stand there, to which we will meet his forces with our own. When you get there, make sure Akeru uses that scroll I had you give him; it will bring me and all the lava monkeys to battle. Hopefully by that time, I will have finished my training. The fate of the world, no matter how cliche it sounds, indeed rests on me being summoned to fight so do not forget._

_Also be sure to keep an eye on my family, I am worried about them when I can't be there to protect them. It would be best to allow Mei to be in temporary command of the village, she is most likely more cut out for it than either of us. Please allow her to read this as well._

_Shodai Uzukage_

_Naruto Uzumaki_

"What does it say ma'am?" Ao asked politely as it seemed to be a long message, it was no doubt extremely important. Mei placed the scroll on the island counter and allowed Ao to pick it up and read, her stern, 'Kage' look had resurfaced over her face as she prepared to once again lead a village to war.

"It seems my husband has left me behind to do his dirty work while he is away. I suppose it is the least I can do for him while he risks his life training in some volcano. Come on Ao, you can read that on the way." Ao looked up from the scroll in curiosity as Mei began to leave the kitchen; he quickly got up from his seat and followed her out the door and towards the front door to the house.

"What do you mean ma'am? Where are we going?" Mei turned around and pointed towards the two hurricanes that were beginning to follow.

"You will remain here. Gather the rest of your squad and protect my child while I am away, if anything happens I will be in the Uzukage Tower. Come along Ao, we have much work to do." The two hurricanes looked at one each other and shrugged, setting off to follow their orders.

Ao just nodded to her request and placed his mask back on as they exited the building into the rain. He handed her a spare robe that was made for ANBU traveling and she quickly placed it on, protecting her clothing from the rain.

"Let's move!" The two disappeared in a blur towards the Uzukage Tower in the center of the village, they had a village to run.

000

_Land of Iron_

_Iron Fortress_

_Kage Summit_

During the opening throes of Madara's attack on Konoha, the Kage of the Elemental Nations were embattled with Root shinobi at the summit. It was one last deterrent to keep the strongest ninja and their troops from coming to aid Konoha, even if it meant sacrificing Akatsuki's special forces. While it would most likely not kill the kage, it would most certainly delay them and that was all the Uchiha could have asked for.

"Dammit! Get out of my way!" A blasted through a a few Root shinobi that had teamed up against the Raikage; before they could finish their hand signs, A smashed into them with his lightning enhanced taijutsu.

"Hehe, boss sure can take care of business with just one arm!" Darui muttered out, grunting in exertion from holding back a Root officer's Tanto with his butcher sword; C glared at him as he knocked another would-be assassin away from the Raikage's blind spot.

"Shut up and fight Darui!" The white haired man shrugged and pushed the officer back, keeping him on the defensive as the Kumo shinobi prepared to finish him.

Akatsuchi created a golem of earth and had it become his partner as he fought off a large number of Root forces, obviously teaming up on the larger guy. The golem picked up one hapless soldier that attempted to strike at Akatsuchi's flank and smashed him into the floor. Going through hand signs, Akatsuchi aimed his new jutsu at a few enemies that were beginning to charge at the Tsuchikage.

"**Earth Release: Earth Spikes!**" A few spikes were created from the stone tile floor and impaled a few Root while causing the rest to dodge; Onoki glared at the boy as he scrambled to defend himself after trying to help the Tsuchikage.

"Akatsuchi! Stop worrying about me and watch your own back!" The younger man stuttered off an affirmative as he dodged more attacks while Onoki turned back to his foe; a particularly savvy shinobi amongst Root known for his dangerous hidden jutsu. "Now time to finish you off, ya little squat! **Dust Release: Swift Decomposition!**"

The Tsuchikage created a cloud of dust and sent it flying at Torune, forcing him to dodge the tiny particles. He spared a look over his shoulder to see some of it touch the wall behind him and it acted like an eraser, completely disintegrating the wall; he whistled in admiration and turned back to the kage.

"Looks like I'll have to be careful around you!" He charged forward and removed his glove, trying to lay a hand on the Tsuchikage's face only to be warded away by the lingering dust in the air. He was however able to lay a hand on the Tsuchikage's cloak forcing him to quickly release it as it was infested with nano bugs capable of eating his skin.

The body of a crushed Root soldier flew over the short stature man and looked to see Tsunade slightly huffing in exhaustion. Around her lay multiple craters and bodies of wrecked soldiers who had attempted to face her in close combat only to fail. The Tsuchikage saw that the room was beginning to get too chaotic with all the fighting in such a small space and felt it was necessary to change the scenery.

"Oi! If you want to fight me, you'll have to follow!" Onoki ran out into the hallway and sure enough was rewarded with a few Root soldiers including Torune ready to fight him.

"You made a mistake separating yourself from your bodyguard, _old man_." Torune taunted, emphasizing his age as his compatriots prepared their attacks.

Onoki grew a tic on his forehead and went through hand signs, an angry scowl on his lips. "We'll just see about that kiddo, you just underestimated me! **Earth Release: Wall Crush!**" The walls in the hallway began to move and suddenly launched towards one another, attempting to squish the men in between; only Torune was able to escape from the attack but soon found himself in great pain.

He looked on his back to find it disintegrating from dust and looked back at the old man for an explanation. Onoki smirked as the boy found out his collaboration jutsu with Dust and Earth release.

"From the two walls slamming together, a small amount of dust kicked out from the impact point. You thought you were safe when you jumped out, but in reality you were still in my trap. Learn to respect your elders in the afterlife, it's the least you can do!" Torune by that point in time had completely disintegrated into dust allowing Onoki to view the carnage back in the meeting hall.

Gaara and Temari were fighting in the stands with her using wind jutsu to slice up those that got too close while Gaara used his sand to defend them from attacks and crush the Root forces that got too close. Sakura was fighting a blonde Root member who wielded the double bladed Tanto and the samurai were fending off the soldiers near Mifune where he and A had stood near each other.

"**Shintenshin!**" Fu yelled out, sending his consciousness into Sakura's to take over her body only to find a lot of resistance.

_'What is this? Does she have a..split personality?'_ Inner Sakura began to fight with him in her mindscape, clearly overwhelming him through sheer surprise.

As he attempted to escape back to his body, Tsunade made her way to Sakura and smashed a Root soldier who was attempting to take advantage of Fu's attack on her mind. She easily stopped his attack and ran over to Fu's body, kicking it into a wall and forcing Fu into full unconsciousness when he finally returned to his body.

As the battle wound down to just a few Root soldiers left, Tsunade personally confronted Danzo. The man had already removed his unneeded clothes revealing both his sharingan arm and his eye. The Hokage also noticed with interest that the arm Naruto had gotten rid of was still missing, meaning the man couldn't use a majority of his ninjutsu. It didn't matter much though, the man was already tired and had used most of his abilities already to little effect.

"Give it up Danzo, this battle is over!' She announced, trying her best to make him see reason and give up; all he did was smile and chuckle.

"Oh no Tsunade, you see this battle was only a diversion. I'm sure you already knew that thanks to the messenger but you should also know that Konoha is finished. My part is over." Tsunade gritted her teeth in anger and balled her fists up so much she began to draw blood from her nails biting into her skin; it didn't make any sense why Danzo would do this to Konoha, he loved his village!

"Why Danzo? I thought you loved Konoha? Why go this far? Was this part of your plan?" Before Danzo could answer, A smashed into him with his fist and sent the man flying back into a wall.

"It doesn't matter Tsunade, what matters is getting to Konoha and finishing Madara! C, Darui, We are leaving!" The Raikage collected his things and headed out with his bodyguards, intent on raising the alarm in Kumo.

"Well, I suppose we'll get going too. Come on Akatsuchi!" The Tsuchikage beckoned his bodyguard who quickly picked up the struggling man and placed him on his shoulders before running out of the room.

"We shall as well, our forces will head to Konoha as soon as possible, though I fear we will be too late." Gaara and Temari disappeared in a gust of wind and disintegrated into sand.

Tsunade went closer to Danzo's form, wanting to investigate something. She had seen something off about his left eye, the normal one right before he was finished off by A. When she approached, she could find nothing off about it, confusing her further.

_'What did I see? I thought for sure it looked like a-'_

"Tsunade-sama, we need to get moving!" Sakura's warning awoke her from her thoughts and she quickly picked up her fallen jacket and left the meeting place to return to Konoha.

_'Hang on, I'm coming Konoha!'_

000

_Uzu Island_

_Mountain of Fire_

"Very good Uzumaki-sama! I can feel your chakras, they are completely still, even with your proximity to the volcano!" Naruto said nothing, his eyes were closed in quiet concentration as he remained perfectly still with his chakra calmed.

"Yes..I think I have mastered this part of the exercise." Naruto said as he slowly opened his eyes and stood up, bringing the monkeys to stand up as well.

"It looks like it is time for the second part of the first phase, we must enter the mouth of the volcano." Yomusha noted and Naruto nodded, indicating with a hand gesture that Yomusha lead the way.

"Naruto-sama, are you sure you are ready to go in? All the other humans went straight to the next part and died from burns, are you sure you can handle the flames?" Naruto nodded in affirmative and explained his confident attitude.

"While it will take some getting used to in a different spot, I think I can handle the lava. While I was training with calming my chakra, I developed a passive way of relieving my back from the searing heat of the volcano. I enveloped my backside in a small casing of Kyuubi's chakra, as it is separate from mine therefore it was usable at the same time as me calming my normal chakra." Yomusha and the others were astounded at Naruto's chakra control; to be able to use his two types of chakra in two different ways at the _same_ time was no easy feat for anyone, not even other jinchuuriki.

"I see, no other human that attempted the lava training could do that so we never considered it. Very nice thinking Naruto-sama!" Yomara complimented to which Naruto nodded in appreciation.

Their party continued to delve down into the volcano until they reached a ledge that was as close as they could get to the lava without touching it. Shots of lava would spurt up and occasionally land nearby, forcing Naruto to shy away from the dangerous fluid.

"It is time Naruto-sama, please sit down here to mediate. We will stay with you and do our best to get you somewhere safe should something go wrong." Yomusha said to the Uzukage and Naruto moved to his spot and sat down, closing his eyes in concentration.

He began to calm his chakra down while slowly tugging on Kyuubi's reservoirs, forming that chakra in the rough shape of a protective barrier on his back. To someone with a keen eye, they could just barely make out the orange-red chakra that had formed on Naruto's back, others would be able to feel the demonic chakra seeping from it.

000

Kyuubi sat in his cage, waiting and waiting for the kid to finish taking his chakra. It had felt the tug the first time the boy had attempted the shield and came up with a devilish idea. While he had sat idly by for eighteen years, the fox had finally found a way to free himself. All it would take would be a little incentive for Naruto to use more of his chakra.

He began to cackle evilly as a particularly powerful bunch of lava shot up.

"**I think someone is about to get burnt to a crisp."**

000

Naruto's eye jolted open when a particularly powerful shot of lava slammed right into his back and began to burn it, not enough to be fatal but enough to hurt. Naruto screamed in pain and lost his concentration, forcing him to take out more of Kyuubi's chakra and lose focus on his own. Cursing, Naruto did his best to get back under control when more lava hit his back, forcing him into unconsciousness from the sheer amount of pain.

The Lava Monkeys grew concerned and pulled him away from the edge. They had noticed he was taking too much demon chakra and felt it best to take him back to the mouth of the volcano.

000

Naruto awoke in front of Kyuubi's cage, his dazed expression was quickly wiped away when he noticed the state of his subconscious. The entire boiler room was glowing red and Kyuubi's cage was bright with orange red chakra, threatening to break through. The bars that made up the cage were being slammed into with the fox's body, the strong steel was slowly beginning to twist and bend. Worst of all, Naruto saw the seal paper beginning to come off as a sure sign of his seal weakening.

Naruto ran forward and attempted to hold the paper in place to stop the fox's advance. He was just barely able to withstand each hit the fox did on the cage and keep standing but he saw that the seal would most definitely not hold for long. With one last strong push, the fox broke the seal and pushed Naruto far across the room.

It roared out a challenge and charged forward as if to eat Naruto. The Uzukage for once found an enemy that even he could not handle alone and prepared to face the wrath of his biju.

_'Dammit..how could he get this strong so fast? Was he really analyzing the seal all this time, just waiting for the right time to break out? What am I supposed to do..'_

"_Just hold on, Naruto."_ The voice echoed out from the dark part of the room behind him and he turned to look over his shoulder to find the source of the feminine voice.

Suddenly, dozens of chakra chains came from the darkness and latched onto the Kyuubi, restraining his powerful form with ease. The fox seemed to know the chakra and gritted his teeth in anger, fighting against the subduing chakra.

"**DAMN YOU KUSHINA!"** Naruto froze at the mention of his mother's name and turned to see a beautiful red headed woman walk out from the darkness.

"Mom..is that you?" Kushina looked down at her son who was still lying on the ground and smiled.

"Yes I am Naruto, but you will have to wait a while before we get to talk. Your father has to finish resealing Kyuubi." Naruto's eyes widened at the word 'father' and he turned back at the cage to find the Kyuubi to be inside, restrained by chains.

"I hate to see you again fox..but at least I got to see my son again because of your greed." A voice came from behind Naruto and he turned around again to see his father, Minato Namikaze standing next to his mother; a warm smile on his face as he looked at Naruto with pride.

"Dad!" Naruto quickly picked himself up and stood face to face with his parents, not completely believing what he was seeing.

"Yep, its us Naruto. Just let me reset your seal to fix those bars." Naruto tugged his shirt up and it allowed Minato to reset the bleeding ink, reforming it to its original form. "That's the last time I can do that Naruto, it'll be up to you to fix the seal from now on." Naruto nodded and just stood there awkwardly not knowing what to say.

"So.." Minato sensed the awkwardness too and together with his son scratched the back of his head in embarrassment.

"My son..the first Uzukage. I guess you're following your old man huh?" Minato mumbled out in pride only to have Kushina punch him in the shoulder.

"Of course he was gonna be a kage, that was like obvious!" Kushina retorted only to grab her mouth with both hands when she realized she made her unusual speech impediment; she was surprised when Naruto laughed and pointed at her.

"Haha! I used to do the same thing when I was younger!" Kushina at first pouted in anger at his playful jibe but soon began to laugh with her family as it finally began to sink in that they were reunited.

"I can't believe you guys are here right now..this is just incredible." Minato suddenly got serious after Naruto's remark and set a hand on his son's shoulder, surprising him.

"Naruto, we can't be here for long. Repairing the seal wasn't the only reason we appeared.." Naruto gulped and looked at both his parents, curious as to just what they had to say..

000

Well, I knew that I could get Naruto's parents in there somewhere, even if it wasn't the canon way. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and look forward to the next one.

Review!

Bye!


	31. A Jinchuuriki's Sacrifice Konoha's Sage!

Uzumaki Clan's Rebirth

Chapter 31

A Jinchuuriki's Sacrifice, Konoha's Pervy Sage!

**Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO!**

"speaking"

_'thinking'_

"**Jutsu**"

**"Tailed Beast Speak"**

"_Radio Speak"_

NaruxMei

**BLOODLINE WARNING**: Naruto uses **Lava** and **Boil** Release in this story. He has three elements in total because of his bloodlimit, Fire, Water, and Earth.

**Arc: Uzu no Kuni, 6th Elemental Nation!**

I don't care what you all say, but Naruto chapter 504 just confirmed NaruSaku as canon pairing as far as I'm concerned. I hope you enjoy as we begin to finish this with a bang. Expect 2-3 more chapters and then I think I can call this story a wrap. Also, please note that the point of Namikaze's Homecoming was a test of my writing skills with Naruto being in Kumo and pairing him with Samui, I may not end the story where you want me to.

000

_Naruto's Mindscape_

_Kyuubi's Cage_

"We aren't just here to reset the seal, there are some important things you need to know." Minato alerted his son, he didn't want to spoil the reunion but they had little time to spare.

"What is it mom, dad?" Naruto shifted his eyes to either of them back and forth, waiting for one to speak up; being Uzukage made him learn to be attentive and analytic, he was ready for whatever they had to say.

Minato shared a glance with Kushina before looking back at his son, a frown had settled on his features.

"Naruto, do you know the leader of Akatsuki?" Naruto's eyes widened and then narrowed, nodding in response.

"Yeah, well I've heard of him at least. His name is Madara Uchiha, he's responsible for what the state of crisis the world is in today. I'm training to try and stop him, so I can bring the world peace." Minato and Kushina were both surprised at how much they knew was already common knowledge and Minato smiled at his son.

"Wow, look at that! My son's already two steps ahead of me! Well, I can tell you this Naruto, that man was the same person that led Kyuubi to attack Konoha the night you were born." Naruto's eyes widened again as this was new information to him.

"What? But..that would mean.." Naruto stopped talking when he saw his father's figure begin to fade, his chakra had run out; Minato knew what was happening all too well and felt horrible he couldn't stay longer, cursing his luck one last time.

"I'm sorry Naruto..it looks like this is the end of the line for me. Kushina had more chakra in her part of the seal, so she can stay longer. We're counting on you Naruto.._make me proud._" His voice became faint as he slowly disappeared from the mortal plane, leaving behind a saddened Kushina and a confused Naruto.

Naruto felt a pang in his heart as he watched his father leave, it was definitely not enough time for either to get acquainted with each other. He balled his fists up tightly to hold back his tears of anger, the fate of his destiny was too much to know when he had to acknowledge in front of his eyes both of his parents were dead. Kushina seemed to know what he was thinking and turned to him, placing a hand over her heart.

"Naruto..I know you grew up without a parent's love..but you don't have to feel empty anymore..that love you wanted has always been right here..I just never got to show you." Naruto looked at his mother with tears welling up, this time with sadness to know how much both he and his parents had wanted to do together and never got the chance.

"Mom.." Kushina was taken by surprise when Naruto practically tackled her, enveloping her in a tight hug that sent warmth flowing through both.

She smiled and wrapped her arms around him, silently basking in the feeling of holding her grown up son. He was tall and very handsome, from which she hoped her son was able to find someone good for him. She absently wondered if he read her notes left behind for him, it was her one last way of speaking to him before that night.

"Naruto..my baby boy..you're so handsome." Naruto leaned out of the hug to look his mother in her eyes, silently enjoying her praise.

"Thanks mom, you look pretty good yourself!" Kushina brought a hand to her mouth and stifled a giggle; she soon brought herself to sit down and Naruto followed suit.

"Well thank you Naruto, I was always afraid you would have my crazy red hair but I'm glad you got your father's blonde locks. Too bad you have my rounded face though.." Kushina's gaze took a far off look as she seemed to remember something in her past. "I was made fun of so much because of that.." Naruto scratched the back of his head and smiled.

"Oh come on mom, even if I didn't get your red hair and got your face, I think I would have looked good with both. I mean my wife has beautiful red hair and our son.." Naruto whistled in appreciation to how vibrant his red hair looked as it began to thicken; Kushina's head did a quick snap towards him so much so that Naruto thought she would get whiplash.

"WHAT? YOU LIKE..HAVE A WIFE AND SON?" Naruto was taken away by how loud she was yelling and nodded, going limp as Kushina grabbed his shoulders and began to shake him uncontrollably. "TELL ME ABOUT THEM! IS SHE NICE? Does she feed you your favorite food? Does the baby look like you or her? What's her name, what's his?" Naruto was taken aback by her quickfire Q and A but did his best to answer.

"Well..my wife's name is Mei Uzumaki and our son's name is Roshi. My wife is very loving and caring but she can be scary when she needs to be.." A shiver ran down Naruto's spine as he remembered all the times she threatened him when he did something wrong. "She actually isn't so great at cooking so we cook together, it's a lot of fun. Actually, that reminds me of this one time where Mei and I were in the kitchen where I was making ramen and she was preparing something for Roshi and I.." Kushina watched as her son rambled on in his own world with a smile, if he could be so happy with just a single memory of his family, then he must have truly been happy with them.

_'I'm so glad he was able to find someone..that was what scared me the most. Without a parent's love, a woman's love was the only substitute I thought..I guess having a family of his own is a step up.'_

Naruto noticed that he had begun to ramble and stopped talking, instead looking at his mom who was just staring at him with a small smile on her face.

"What is it? Do I have something on my face?" Kushina just shook her head and placed a hand on his shoulder, confusing him.

"You've made us so proud Naruto..you've gone so far without us just as we had hoped. But I think its best you know what really happened during the Kyuubi's attack.." Kushina's face hardened with a frown and Naruto noticed, feeling that it was time to get serious.

"I always wanted to know exactly what happened that night. No one ever had the real details and the Third never did tell me anything, who else better to ask than my parents though right?" Kushina nodded but at first did not say anything, leading Naruto to grow impatient.

"Naruto..there is something you have to know before I begin the story." This peaked his curiosity and brought him closer to the woman, waiting for the answer.

"What?" Kushina swallowed her nervousness and looked her son in the eyes and with pure confidence revealed her secret.

"I was the second jinchuuriki of the Nine Tails just as you are the third. That night the fox was taken from me by that masked man, Madara Uchiha." Naruto's eyes widened and his jaw slowly dropped in surprise, his mother was the previous _jinchuuriki_?

"What? But how..is that possible?" Kushina then began to tell the story of what happened that fateful night, and Naruto listened and hung off every word, still not quite believing it until the end.

000

Come on, I already recited the Pain speech in the story with my own compressed version, this would take too long! Go read the latest chapters, I'm probably already spoiling it enough if you haven't read from 497 and onwards.

000

Both mother and son were standing now as the tale came to an end of that fateful night. The amount of time that had passed couldn't be remembered by either, but it didn't matter. This was the last chance either had to bond with one another, no matter what the circumstance, and both made sure to enjoy every last second.

"And just like that, your father was able to seal the fox within you and still had the strength to implant our chakra into the seal. He was amazing that night.." Kushina finished her tale, ending it on a lighter note to the relatively dark story; she looked to see Naruto staring at her as if he expected more. "I'm sorry..I didn't mean to bore you with the little details, I like..tend to do that sometimes." She silently berated herself as she scratched her head in embarrassment for her verbal tic emerging again only to have Naruto slowly begin to smile.

"You didn't bore me at all mom..thanks for telling me..ya know, everything. It makes me feel better knowing the whole story, like the missing piece of a big puzzle I've been trying to wrap my head around. But one thing is for certain from all of this, I can't forgive Madara for what he's done to you and dad, and I'll make sure to kill him.._myself_." Kushina wasn't surprised by her son's reaction but visibly was taken aback by his utter seriousness when he said it.

"Naruto..don't let the hate cloud your judgment. You've done a great job with your actions so far, don't let that hate grow inside of you like it did to your friend, Sasuke."

Naruto's eyes widened and narrowed, making him look down at the ground in shame and nod.

"I'm so sorry though..for placing such a heavy burden we placed on you as parents...we aren't fit to be your mother and father." Naruto couldn't believe what he just heard and looked back at his mom with disbelief as she wiped her eyes from the endless tears flowing.

"Mom...don't apologize. I'll admit, it was pretty hard growing up as a jinchuuriki, especially without parents." Kushina looked into his eyes, taking the slight recoil of shame she felt from what he said; Naruto continued on though. "But the truth was, I never blamed the parent's that I never had. I..never blamed _you_!" Kushina's eyes widened in shock, not expecting that from Naruto.

"Maybe I never received love from a parent, but now that I have my own family, I can forget those feelings of emptiness by replacing it with love for my family and country. I was able to manage as a child because of determination, that's something I think I got from you mom." He smiled at her, a genuine smile that could only make Kushina go silent and gape at her son.

"But it's alright now..now that I have that missing puzzle piece, I can be happy. 'Cause I know I'm alive because my parent's gave their lives for me. It is a feeling that I have when I look at Mei and Roshi..a feeling of something I want to protect. So don't blame yourself mom.." Naruto had his hands on his hips and a big smile on his face as he spoke his encouraging words; Kushina slowly moved a hand to her heart as she felt it was going to burst with emotion from the newly made tears forming in her gray orbs.

"..'Cause you filled me up with all that parental love before you sealed the Nine Tails inside me! That's what made me grow up to be a healthy boy, what you see before you now!" He pointed his thumbs to his chest with pride and Kushina allowed her tears to again flow with abandon. "I'm glad I ended up being your son!"

Kushina extended her arms slowly towards her son and moved forward, as if to wrap him in a hug. Naruto watched with surprise and soon sad recognition as he saw her figure begin to fade away; her chakra..and time had run out. As her arms began to encircle around him one last time, her final words were mixed with happy sobs and a slight choke, but Naruto understood very clearly every word.

"Naruto.."

_'Minato..did you hear? Our love reached him..after all.'_

"Thank you for letting me be your mother, and for Minato being your father. _Thank you..for being our son!_" Her last words were no louder than wisps of a slight breeze as she disappeared just as her lips landed on Naruto's cheek, a last farewell from a mother to her son.

A tear fell from Naruto's eye as he closed his eyes and looked to see..nothing. The warm embrace he had felt was gone from him now, but the warmth that radiated from his heart did not cease. He had never felt so at peace after speaking with his parents, it was as if some great obstacle that had held him back had now been lifted from his path.

The space where his father had taken him, an infinite white plane that offered privacy within his own subconscious, began to fade away as its purpose was fulfilled. Naruto's eyes hardened as the Nine Tail's cage came into focus, the dark boiler room had calmed from the demon's fury and now looked normal. The chains had disappeared from the fox leaving it to impatiently wait for the boy to come back from his pathetic 'reunion'.

"**So..you finally return. I hope seeing your dead parents was..enlightening."** The way it said that made Naruto want to end its life right there, even if he knew it was impossible.

_'Keep laughing fox, I've got a surprise for you too.'_

"I know that you killed them, so don't even try and beat around the bush." The fox's smile disappeared and it huffed in resignation as its surprise was already found out. "I understand now what my father meant when he said it was up to me to keep you contained from now on, he passed me the torch. This time fox.." Kyuubi looked into the boy's glaring eyes and felt something settle in its stomach, something he never thought he would feel.._trepidation._ "This time, _I'm _the one that is the jailor and I'm going to make the jail your final destination!"

Naruto began to go through hand signs and the fox could feel something changing about the boy, something that did not spell well for him. Hoping to delay him, the fox's deep booming voice rumbled in the hollow room.

"**What the hell are you planning boy? You are nothing but a puny cage for me! I could have killed you when you were a child, who the hell do you think you are?"** Naruto looked up from his preparations and stared the fox down right in the eye as he lifted his shirt up to reveal the Eight Trigrams Seal.

"My name is Naruto Uzumaki, the last jinchuuriki I'll make sure YOU EVER SEE!" Naruto slammed his glowing hand into his seal and felt the air leave him as the feeling of vertigo reached him.

_'**Ultimate Uzumaki Sealing Style: 16 Trigrams Jinchuuriki Death Prison!**'_

Around the eight unique symbols that surrounded the swirl, eight new ones began to form an outer circle that enveloped the original seal. The center swirl began to enlarge and looked much closer to the Uzumaki swirl as it thickened and finished wrapping in on itself.

The most notable change was not on Naruto's person but the Fox within the cage. As each new seal of the 16 Trigrams formed, a spike was driven through a part of Kyuubi's body causing him to howl in pain and frustration. Soon, the strategically placed spikes were now easily tethering him to the now smaller cage with further interlocking pad locks along with the original paper seal on the door.

Naruto huffed in exhaustion and fell to the ground, feeling the need to sit was greater than to stand in triumph. The new seal he placed on himself was something he found in the second scroll within the vault, the one he did not at first open. It had never been used before as the Uzumaki had only been dealing with the sealing of the Nine Tails; the Four Tails was allowed to roam free as it came and went.

With the new seal, there was little chance of Kyuubi breaking out or interfering; in fact, Naruto could dare say it was impossible. The seal also made it so that the chakra of the Kyuubi could not escape Naruto's body when he died, forcing the beast to die with him. In the worst case scenario of Akatsuki getting him, they would be unable to extract the beast within him; in the best case, Naruto could die at an old age and take the world's strongest chakra monster with him.

The downside was though that the new seal was a strain on his life force and chakra to keep the Kyuubi contained so well. Even with his clan's known longevity and constitutions, Naruto doubted he could live over the age of 60. It was enough for him though to know he was not only sacrificing himself to save his country, his family, but the world as well.

_'Well, I've taken care of Kyuubi. Now I just have one last deterrent to deal with before peace..Madara.'_

Naruto willed himself to leave his subconscious and awaken. He had completed one hurdle only to face his latest challenge, surviving the Lava training.

000

_Uzu Island_

_Mountain of Fire_

"Look..I think he is awakening Yomusha-sama!" Naruto slowly began to sit up as he held his face with his hand, slowly opening up his eyes to see.

The lava monkeys had formed a protective circle around him as they waited for him to awaken, the genuine concern on their faces was touching to Naruto. Yomusha, the leader in question was especially viewing him with interest and Naruto saw his shirt was still off revealing his new seal.

"We watched it change while you were unconscious, Uzumaki-sama. Is there anything we should know?" Naruto slowly stood up and began to move again towards the lip of the volcano; Yomara held out an arm in warning for him to stop.

"Wait Naruto-sama, you just woke up! Don't push yourself!" Naruto glanced over his shoulder and began to speak to the personal summons.

"I'm not as fragile as you might think Yomara, so please do not consider me as such. I've taken care of the Kyuubi and have had a great epiphany to my destiny..I just have one last thing to do. Let's get to work!" Without warning, Naruto leaped into the volcano and the monkeys felt as if he had gone insane.

They rushed to the edge to look over and found Naruto, standing on top of the lava without any problems. His hands were up against one another in a calming stance and they could feel the chakra and heat calm and mix within him.

"This is.." Yomara couldn't bring words to describe the Uzukage's actions; Yomusha finished it for him.

"Incredible."

000

_Konohagakure_

_Dungeons_

Kakashi was wide awake, having felt the immense shock waves from some sort of earth tremor; half of the cell block had collapsed! As the guard had no current orders and the structure was still structurally sound, Kakashi was to remain where he was. The stupidity of the man watching him was once again thought over by the silver haired Jounin when the door creaked open to his cell block.

Two men conversed, one was the voice of the guard which Kakashi had memorized while the other was a seldom heard messenger. They spoke in hushed yet panicked tones and Kakashi could tell something was very wrong. His senses also felt strange, as if something incredibly powerful was bearing down on them and its arrival imminent.

_'I haven't felt something this powerful since the Nine Tail's attack!'_

"You've got to be kidding me? Did these orders really come from the elders?" The guard suddenly shouted bringing Kakashi back into focus.

"Yes, you are to release Kakashi Hatake for emergency conscription duty. The village is in a Level One emergency and we need all the able bodied shinobi we can get. The sad truth is, he is still one of our top Jonin and shinobi of this village, now let him out!" As if music to Kakashi's ears, the guard ran over to his cell and quickly unlocked it, facing him down with his masked face.

"Get up Kakashi! I'm sure you heard that guy, you are one lucky son of a bitch!" The guard drawled sarcastically as he unhooked Kakashi's straight jacket and gave him a ninja pouch.

"Well, looks like I_ am_ pretty lucky. I don't have to listen to you bitch anymore." Before the guard could retort, Kakashi ripped the eye patch off and disappeared in a puff of smoke.

Cursing quite loudly, the guard turned back to the messenger and shrugged his shoulders. The other man scratched the back of his head nervously.

"Damn, I know they said to let him out, but they also wanted guards to follow him. Think we can catch him?" The ANBU jailor shook his head, looking back at the spent eye patch on the ground.

"No way..I may not like him, but Kakashi Hatake was one of the best in ANBU and damn near one of the fastest. We wouldn't have stood a chance with a head start." The two men shrugged and headed out of the underground facility; the village needed shinobi now and they had to answer the call.

000

_Konohagakure_

_Village Outskirts_

"Yes, we are almost there." Madara thought to himself with glee as he continued his confident stride down the main dirt path that would lead straight to the north gate.

The four tailed beasts followed along to his flanks, crushing trees and anything that would stray into their paths. It was only a matter of time before the village would be in sight, then Madara could watch as it was destroyed in one fell swoop.

_'If the Kyuubi wasn't enough, surely his brothers can finish what he couldn't. Without a meddling Hokage or stubborn jinchuuriki this time, surely I cannot be defeated.'_

"Halt!" Madara watched as a squad of Leaf ANBU, fully equipped and ready for action, appear in front of him and block his path. "Are you the one controlling these..things?" They quickly brought out their katana and other weapons, preparing to fight him to halt his advance; Madara merely chuckled in amusement.

"_What do you think?_" He asked with sarcasm dripping from his tongue; the rebuttal made the man flinch and gave Madara time to charge forward and grab onto him.

With a simple movement of the neck, the man was sent screaming away to another dimension. His comrades quickly tried to retaliate but their attacks went right through Madara leaving them confused. Without giving them any time to readjust, the masked man disappeared into the ground and pulled them both under to suffocate.

With one last member to go, Madara sent a few shuriken her way forcing her to deflect them. As she did this, Madara charged forward and avoiding her easy thrust towards him, sent a shattering punch to her throat, effectively making her suffocate to death in agony.

With the obstacles out of his way, Madara continued on until he could see the Leaf village on the horizon. Madara smirked and sent the Four Tails up first, its large red mane easily the most recognizable and intimidating.

"Destroy it." He said simply to bathe in the power he had over them; the Four Tails began to comply by opening its jaw and showing what appeared as a large cannon.

From it erupted a concentrated shot of lava towards the village, it could easily cover an entire residential district in hot lava. The Leaf wasn't down yet though, as Madara watched dozens of small water geysers launch up and begin to cool the hot earth as it approached. With narrowing eyes, he observed a large puff of smoke and downright glared at the new arrivals; battle toads the size of the Hokage Monument had arrived to play.

With one deft swipe of his sword, Gamabunta destroyed the cooled rock that had once made up the Four Tail's attack. The earth rained down onto the forest floor harmlessly and it allowed the Leaf to assess the situation with some room to breathe. The large toad shifted his pipe to one side of his mouth to the other as he viewed the enemy contenders with barely hidden fear; _Four_ tailed beasts stood against them. He had brought along Gamaken and Gamahiro to fight alongside him and they did have elder Fukasaku and Shima's help but things still did not look good.

_'Crap..I hope Jiraiya gets here soon. We won't be able to keep them at bay forever!'_

"Fukasaku-sama!" The great toad yelled out, bringing attention to the smaller elder that sat atop his head. "When will Jiraiya get here? Can't you summon him?"

Fukasaku scratched his chin and shrugged in answer.

"I could, but Jiraiya apparently isn't traveling alone. Unless that one has the correct seal placed on him, they must arrive here through normal travel." Gamabunta slapped his face in frustration, how could Jiraiya miss something like that?

"Guh, that idiot! He better get his ass here quick, or else!" Gamabunta noticed the Six Tailed Slug coming forward and smirked, slugs were the prey of toads and it would make for easy picking; tailed beast or no.

"Gamaken, help me out with this one!" The red toad nodded and both leaped forward to attack the Six Tails; it began to form a slime bubble to protect itself.

"I may be ungraceful.." Gamaken began to speak in his usual low self esteem talk, however, he slammed his weapon into the bubble destroying it with one swoop. "But I will do whatever I must to protect those I wish to!" Gamabunta sliced his sword into the slimy mucus and damaged one of the defending tails, forcing the Slug back.

"Haha! Take that you overgrown escargot!" A deadly sheen began to cover the battlefield and Gamabunta quickly jumped backwards; the Five Tails made its presence known as its mouth slowly released more of the acidic steam.

"Damn! There's too many!" Fukasaku frowned as the battle began to get closer to the gate to Konoha; he could only hope Jiraiya would place the seal on the other person quickly.

_'Hurry Jiraiya-chan!'_

000

_Uzugakure_

_Uzukage's Tower_

As soon as Mei arrived at the tower with Ao, she immediately set to work preparing letters for their allies to read. Ao watched in silent amazement as she sat at the desk and did the work with practiced ease, a trait obviously gained from being Mizukage. There was no angry frown nor silent cursing, Mei had no qualms with the work she did and did it efficiently contrary to many lazier shinobi in the past.

"That takes care of those, Ao, prepare a squad to head out to see and launch a few carrier pigeons with the messages. I also don't want the ANBU sequestered within the compound any longer, I'm sure the Uzumaki are tired of it. Leave a single medical squad on standby along with a single ANBU unit around the compound." Ao saluted and left, leaving to accomplish his objectives given to him by his leader.

Mei sighed and sat back in Naruto's chair, trying to get some of his essence from it with little success. She knew she would feel alone without him around, but she had no idea it would be this bad. The feeling of doubt was still there in her heart, just not as prevalent; his death was still her biggest fear. With little else she could do though, Mei kept him in her thoughts as she sat in his chair in _his _office.

_'Naruto..I wonder what you're doing right now. Are you doing well? Have you gotten any stronger?'_

000

_Konohgakure_

_Village Gates_

Without warning, Fukasaku jumped down from Gamabunta's head and went through hand signs. As soon as he reached the ground, his hand hit pavement and a puff of smoke appeared. The Leaf shinobi nearby crowded around to see what the reinforcements would be but were shocked to see Jiraiya with a very familiar face.

"Shodai..sama?" Asked one Jonin, not sure if he could believe what he could see; the man in question turned to his fellow Leaf compatriots and smiled.

"Yes, I am Hashirama Senju. I don't have much time left to help you all on this mortal plane, so please give me your strength one last time so that I may protect you all!" Hashirama took off running towards the Hokage building with Jiraiya in hot pursuit.

Not sure if what they saw was correct or not but too distracted to argue, the Leaf shinobi turned their attention back to the fight. With a new determination swelling in their hearts, they began to force the beasts back with their willpower alone and Madara frowned on the slow progress. He would have to head to the front to stem the tide of the puny Leaf shinobi and their 'fearless' leaders.

"Come on! Master Jiraiya is with us! Push them back!"

"The Shodai has returned to save us again! We can defeat them!" Rallying cries spread across the defensive line as scores of Leaf shinobi received the news from the front gate.

Reinforcements had arrived, the battle's tide had turned.

000

_Konohagakure_

_Hokage's Office_

The two quickly arrived at the large home at the center of the village. Hashirama had silently marveled at how the village had evolved since his time had passed over thirty years ago. The village was much larger and many buildings were upgraded with more technological advancements that his generation did not have.

_'What a wonderful place..Sarutobi and his future chosen must have truly placed the village as the highest priority. It has truly become a beauty..I cannot let Madara destroy what the children of this land have worked so hard to create!'_

"Let's go!" He shunshined inside of the building to the office and quickly sifted through drawers to find his necklace.

In his process of looking, he came across Tsunade's sake bottle and glasses. Curious, he looked to the embarrassed Jiraiya for an explanation. The man scratched the back of his head and tried to play it off easy.

"Well you see...Tsunade-hime has a lot of um..stress? Drinking is her way of..helping her cope with all the paperwork..yeah that sounds good!" Hashirama's eyes widened upon hearing that his granddaughter had been named the latest Hokage, even more so shocked that she _drank_.

"My granddaughter, the Hokage? And she drinks nonetheless..I'll have a stern talk with her if I see her again." He mumbled out as he searched again, finally coming across his necklace with a relieved smile.

"Here it is!" He quickly placed it on and nodded towards Jiraiya, indicating he was ready; the white haired man nodded and opened the window to leave.

"We should head back to the village gate, its the closest to the beasts and has a good vantage point!" Jiraiya noted to the Hokage as they made their way back towards where the battle was getting steadily closer to home.

"Yes, that sounds fine. It will be extremely difficult for me to stop the beasts' rampage, let alone contain them. I will need everyone's help in keeping the enemy shinobi away. If Madara comes for me directly, please stay back; I will deal with him." Jiraiya could only nod as the brave leader of Konoha leaped up into the air and landed on the top of the gate; he began to go through hand signs as the Leaf village shinobi stopped to stare at him in awe.

"**Hokage Style Sixty-year-old Technique-Kakuan Entering Society with Bliss-bringing Hands!**" He focused his chakra into the ground surrounding each tailed beasts and slowly the ground began to shake as the wooden stakes began to rise.

000

_'It can't be..this is impossible!'_

Madara watched helplessly as large stakes began to appear around the tailed beasts, effectively halting them in confusion. He had seen the jutsu used once before, many many years ago at the Valley of the End. Only one person knew how to perform the technique on such a large scale, but he was dead; Madara narrowed his eyes and felt it was time to make an appearance.

_'Let's see who you really are!'_

000

As Hashirama's newly made stakes contained the beasts in one spot, his necklace began to light up as he began to use his special ability to control them. Green beams of light began to emanate from his necklace and four strands of these launched at light speed to a stake that surrounded one of the tailed beasts. This strand soon interconnected all of the stakes and when all were united by the green light, it shot towards the beast in the center and hit them in the center chest.

This powerful chakra began to overtake their own senses and slowly forced their powers to recede. They fought of course, trying their best to resist the controlling chakra aura; without proximity to crush the user of the crystal and wood release, they had little chance of escaping. As their powers waned, they began to shrink in conjunction.

Hashirama allowed a small smirk to find its way on his face as he saw victory at hand; with his concentration though, he could not bring a hand to wipe the sweat that had formed on his brow. The body containing him was extremely durable and had high levels of tolerance, telling him whoever had sacrificed themselves was a powerful shinobi.

Sensing an enemy coming towards him to his left, Hashirama turned his head and with one hand caught the oncoming kick that would have hit his head. He glared at the masked man, already knowing exactly who it was with the glowing red sharingan.

"Madara Uchiha..so you really are still alive." Madara reeled his foot back and jumped backwards, facing off against the distracted Hokage.

"I could say the same about you, _Hashirama Senju_." The way he spat out the Hokage's name made the man cringe and feel reminded just how much the Uchiha particularly hated him.

"What have you done Madara? Have you gone insane? This was to be your home as much as mine, we only wished for your cooperation!" The masked man chuckled at the outrageous response he had expected from Hashirama, a typical response of a Senju.

"We were destined since the Rikudou Sennin himself to hate one another, an alliance would have never lasted. I was proven right when my clan was ordered to be killed by the Third Hokage. You Senju can't be trusted, that is why I will destroy this obstacle of mine for world domination." Hashirama's eyes widened and that was when he finally acknowledged that his old friend had truly gone insane.

"You are insane..it looks like I will have to finish what I started many years ago. I'm going to do what I should have done, kill you!" A wooden spike suddenly erupted from the ground and almost impaled Madara only to pass harmlessly through him.

"Haha..you will have to do better than that if you want to kill me. Besides, you can't move from that spot because you are holding the tailed beasts down, if you move, you will lose your concentration and your hold on them." Hashirama glared at him, even though he knew the man was right; he couldn't move as long as he had to keep the beasts down.

Sensing danger, Madara stepped back to allow a few kunai and shuriken to pass by him and saw that the distraction had allowed Jiraiya along with Fukasaku and Shima to arrive. They had taken up a defensive stance in front of the Hokage and Jiraiya had already begun his transformation into sage mode.

"You won't touch the Hokage as long as Jiraiya of the Sannin is here!" Madara laughed as the man made a silly pose and made up an exaggerated fighting style as he prepared to fight.

"I'd like to see if you really are anything other than talk." Jiraiya cringed and launched himself at Madara, intent at buying Hashirama time.

000

_Land of Bears_

_Hoshigakure_

"Sumaru, a message from Uzugakure has arrived." Hokuto had just arrived from her patrol around the deadly ravine and had caught a pigeon before it could get caught in the lethal gas.

Sumaru, now sporting the Hoshikage's purple robe and hat, took the scroll from the bird to read and was surprised to find it from Naruto's wife, Mei. It was an alert to gather his forces and head to Uzugakure immediately for a war council and preparation for an invasion of..Kiri?

_'This must be important..yeah, this has to be the real deal! We can finally put an end to Akatsuki and show the Elemental Nations that we can handle things ourselves.'_

"Hokuto, gather all able bodied shinobi we have, I have a very important announcement." Hokuto stood up from her seated position and made to leave, only to turn back towards Sumaru in confusion.

"What did Naruto have to say?" Sumaru smirked and Hokuto already knew it was trouble if _he_ was smirking about it.

"Looks like we are finally taking action against Akatsuki, we might just end the war on our own."

000

_Land of Waterfalls_

_Takigakure_

"A message from Naruto huh? Alright then, I'll gather what troops we can spare and prepare to head for Uzu Island. We can take the fight to Akatsuki and hopefully make up for our past wrongs to jinchuuriki." Shibuki's advisers nodded and moved aside so the young leader could take charge of his forces.

Takigakure was on a war march, but they weren't the only ones rallied to Uzu's cause.

000

_Crescent Island_

_Michiru's Palace_

"Naruto's ready to fight huh? Well, I'm no warrior, but I trust Naruto to know when the time's right! Send a message to Getsugakure and rally our shinobi to aid him. He helped me see what true happiness was through his stubborn determination, this is the least I can do to repay him." King Michiru announced to his squires upon reading Naruto's scroll, alerting him of the latest news on the war front.

"Yes Michiru-sama, we shall make the arrangements." The large man nodded and held his cheek with one hand, leaning onto one side of his throne.

_'I hope Hikaru doesn't catch wind of this, after the effect Naruto had on him, he might very well end up joining the expedition! Ah well..maybe we can win this silly war after all and I can take a second tour of the world again, I wouldn't mind seeing Naruto's home.'_

The King shrugged, he had all the time in the world. For now though, the fate of the world still had yet to be decided, he would just have to wait until the final blow had been struck.

000

And so do you, my dear readers! Sorry about taking so long, I have been caught up in other things that I'd rather not mention since they are boring. I'll give this a quick look over and upload it, this is all for progression of the story so we can get moving! I want to write the epilogue so bad it hurts!

Review!


	32. The Drums of War, Naruto's Summoning!

Uzumaki Clan's Rebirth

Chapter 32

The Drums of War, Naruto's Summoning!

**Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO! If I did, Naruto would live in Kirigakure and love on the Mizukage.**

"speaking"

_'thinking'_

"**Jutsu**"

**"Tailed Beast Speak"**

"_Radio Speak"_

NaruxMei

**BLOODLINE WARNING**: Naruto uses **Lava** and **Boil** Release in this story. He has three elements in total because of his bloodlimit, Fire, Water, and Earth.

**Arc: Uzu no Kuni, 6th Elemental Nation!**

Alright, just a little heads up for everyone, this is the stories third to last chapter _including _the epilogue. The next chapter will be short because, well its going to be the final climax battle we have all been waiting for, won't say who the combatants are but I'm sure you can figure it out :P.

The epilogue's premise is to just give this story a happy, sad, and a very moralistic point of view, at least, in my mind it will hopefully give you all these feelings. So please, stay with me until we reach the end of my epic, and I mean epic as in long although a few of you seem to find this story epically awesome which is alright too, and continue to read and cherish it as we come to the end of.._Uzumaki Clan's Rebirth_.

Oh yeah, one last little thing of a warning; two time skips will happen within the chapter just so we can move onto the final confrontation without a lot of filler bullshit. I think you can understand and respect me for that.

000

_Land of Fire_

_Konohagakure Outskirts_

Tsunade and Sakura were running through the forest to attempt to reach Konoha before the attack began. It was painfully obvious to them though that quite a swath of destruction had already been made as they passed by a few wrecked areas of ground now no more than craters. Both were extremely concerned for their home, and Tsunade felt helpless as she was the Hokage, the supreme leader of the village and its greatest protector, and yet she wasn't there to fulfill her duty.

_'Dammit, we have to hurry!'_ She repeated in her mind again, hoping the mantra would make her and Sakura arrive to the battle quicker.

"Wait Tsunade-sama, look!" Sakura pointed out something off the path they were headed and Tsunade risked a glance.

What she saw intrigued her enough to investigate further so she led Sakura off into a grass clearing. Inspecting the seals surrounding the four pots they found, it seemed as though it was the area where Madara had released the tailed beasts. Walking up to one of the containers, Tsunade observed the kanji and frowned, confirming that the monsters had already been released. Feeling a fit of rage come over her, Tsunade reared back her arm and shattered the fragile clay pot.

"No, Tsunade-sama!" Sakura tried to stop Tsunade but it was to no avail, luckily for the girl Tsunade's assumption was correct and no repercussion was made.

"They aren't here Sakura, Madara must have already released them..as I feared. We need to get moving, we already wasted too much time." Sakura nodded and allowed Tsunade to begin making her way through the forest again, settling into moving right behind her master.

_'I hope we can make it in time to Konoha..oh, where is Naruto when we need him?'_

000

_Konohagakure_

_Village Gate_

"You won't touch the Hokage as long as Jiraiya of the Sannin is here!" Jiraiya announced to the offending Madara Uchiha, taking up the spot of protecting the Hokage.

"What are you..doing?" The Hokage grunted out, he had promised to defeat Madara; Jiraiya was only going to get himself killed fighting the venerable Uchiha.

"Hokage-sama, you have to handle those tailed beasts. I'll hold him off for that long at least!" Madara chuckled and launched himself forward, hoping to surprise the Sannin.

"Jiraiya-chan!" Fukasaku warned and Jiraiya gathered his natural energy into a protective flame around him, preparing for a counter.

"Gotcha!" Madara was about to punch Jiraiya in his face when he felt a bone shattering hit land against his jaw and sent him spinning backwards.

Holding his jaw from the pain, he looked at Jiraiya with his sharingan but couldn't detect anything strange about his body. When he was around the man though, a strange sense came around him as if there was another presence or strength nearby and he could only guess it was dangerous to get close to the Sannin. Jiraiya smirked as the man got hit with his Frog Kata, extending the reach of his power; it was then that Madara noticed that Jiraiya's arm was extended as if he had punched him.

_'That's impossible, my sharingan read his movements, there was no way he would reach me in time to hit! There must be some trick to this new 'mode' he is using..I'll have to be careful. It's been a while since someone has been able to land a hit on me.'_ Madara grabbed his jaw and sickeningly snapped it back into place, also cracking his neck at the same time.

"Ah, that was the perfect wake up call, thank you Jiraiya." Scowling at his mockery, Jiraiya prepared another attack directed at the man. Instead of taijutsu, the white haired hermit would test the man's abilities with a ninjutsu attack. Going through hand signs, Jiraiya prepared a powerful fire attack with Madara's curious eyes.

"**Fire Release: Big Flame Bullet!**"

"**Fire Release: Big Flame Bullet!**" Jiraiya's eyes widened in surprise to find that the man copied his jutsu and sent it back with full force, quenching either attack.

_'Fight fire with fire eh?'_ Madara thought triumphantly as he decided playtime was over for Hashirama; he could sense the tailed beasts weakening and his control slipping away. _'But this is no time for games, I'm too close to lose now!'_

Jiraiya watched as Madara's sharingan changed shape and the man began to disappear into some invisible portal. Fukasaku knew the treachery of the sharingan and tried to warn the Sage to attack.

"Jiraiya boy, don't let him finish teleporting!" Looking at the elder in surprise, Jiraiya leaped forward with his enhanced speed and tried to land an attack only for Madara's body to disappear right before he could hit.

Sailing past the man's previous location, Jiraiya's open palm attack slammed into the wooden wall and sent splinters shattering down either side. Attempting to find the man with his senjutsu chakra, Jiraiya could find little trace that Madara had even been there. Suddenly, he turned around to see Madara reappearing right next to the Hokage and knew he had to think fast.

"**Sage Art: Hair Needle Barrage!**" Using his fastest attack, Jiraiya attempted to cut off Madara's chance to hit the Hokage, sending razor sharp hair splinters at the man.

Sensing the danger, Madara quickly went through with his previous plan and used his sharingan to teleport himself and Hashirama to a more secluded spot. The Hokage, remembering a similar experience during his previous battle with Madara, allowed the pull to happen so as to keep the danger from Konoha.

_'The tailed beasts have been subdued, Madara was too late! Their power cannot help him any longer, now it is only he who is a danger to Konoha!'_

Jiraiya quickly leaped to the Hokage's side only to find the man, along with the villain behind the attack, gone. Huffing angrily in frustration, Jiraiya slammed his fist into the ground and again made a large crater into the village gate. Feeling multiple signatures approaching his position, he regained his composure to welcome a fully decked out group of Jonin arrive, led by the one and only Kakashi Hatake.

"Kakashi..last time I heard about you, you were slated for death." The older man joked only to have Kakashi eye smile back.

"Last time I heard about you Jiraiya-sama..you _were _dead." The Sannin nervously scratched the back of his head and tried to recover.

"Well..you see I uh..well it kinda happened like-" Before he could continue, Jiraiya was interrupted by Inoichi Yamanaka, one of the accompanying Jonin.

"Sorry to interrupt Jiraiya-sama, but where did the First go? We saw him arrive with you at the gate but haven't seen him since then." Jiraiya frowned and looked down, leading everyone but Kakashi to do the same.

"Wait, what do you mean the First?" Shukaku Nara decided to answer his confused friend, taking pity on him as he was still in jail during the time the First arrived.

"You see, under unknown circumstances, Jiraiya-sama brought a resurrected First Hokage with him to help us. You must have still been in the dungeons during that time, but without him, we would never have been able to subdue the beasts." Kakashi could only look at the man in shock, making the Nara turn back to Jiraiya for a proper response. "Really though Jiraiya, where did he go?" The white haired man sighed and scratched his head as he began to lose his Toad-like features.

"I was protecting him well enough from that masked man, Madara, when the man got past me using some sort of time space jutsu. He took Hashirama-sama somewhere far away from here, I suppose to fight him one on one. I am strong with senjutsu but..I'm not a miracle worker; even I can't be instantaneous like that guy can be with his mangekyo sharingan." The other Jonin nodded, it was a bittersweet victory with the loss of their First Hokage not only once but twice now.

"I see..but can't you find him with your sage chakra?" Suggested Choza Akimichi, so far remaining quiet in the presence of the others; Jiraiya sweatdropped at not thinking of doing it before.

"I'll handle it." Fukasaku announced, placing his webbed hands together and attempting to gather and focus his natural energy to encompass the area.

The other waited quietly, hoping that they could rescue the Hokage in time. It took a few moments longer before the toad could lock onto Madara's unique signature of chakra. Opening his eyes from his focused state, Fukasaku prepared to announce to the impatiently waiting shinobi.

"I've found him, follow Jiraiya everyone! Jiraiya boy, that way!" Fukasaku pointed towards the Northeast, an area of deep forest that would no doubt offer much seclusion for fighters.

With little choice, Jiraiya began to follow Fukasaku's directions with the others in tow. The remaining shinobi in Konoha set about restoring order and securing Konoha to make sure Madara left no surprises.

000

_Konohagakure_

_Forest Outskirts_

The forest that was once at peace had been shattered, broken trees, dead animals, and craters littered the once pristine area. Konoha's nature had been damaged, but it was not yet broken. Within one such clearing not too far from the Hidden Village, a portal began to open up. Its contents had recently arrived from a trip to another dimension, and both were ready to fight one another to the death.

Hashirama remembered the strange sense of vertigo when Madara had used the same trick against him at the Valley of the End. From what he could tell, Madara could send a person to some other dimension and have them slowly die a lonely death; for some reason though, it seemed the Uchiha would never grant this fate to the Senju.

_'It seems I am one of the few he wishes to kill with his bare hands. I only hope I can lost long enough to stop this madman.'_

Tumbling out of the portal, both combatants took a moment to steady themselves. Most often, Madara had no real problems with his time space technique, this time he was rushed during the transition and it was enough for him to falter as he escaped the dimensional portal. Hashirama recovered as quickly as he could and slammed his hands together into the snake hand sign, hoping to catch his rival off guard.

Sensing danger, Madara catapulted back to see wood spikes erupt from the ground where he stood. He landed on his feet and slowly shook his head in disappointment, Hashirama was so predictable.

"Tsk tsk, I think we both know I can dodge something like that!" Hashirama cracked his knuckles and pointed his arm straight at Madara; the sharingan allowed the man to track the chakra going into the appendage.

"**Wood Release: Great Forest!**" A dozen sharp stakes formed around the now wooden arm and launched at Madara, forcing the man to either dodge or counter.

Feeling an exhilaration he hadn't felt since he last fought Hashirama, the Uchiha felt daring. Charging forward, he waded through the spikes to reach the Hokage. Sensing the danger, the Senju created smaller spikes along each stake and extended them, making the spaces in between each stake a death trap. Madara felt small cuts begin to form on his skin and made himself transparent to avoid further damage.

A momentary lapse in the Hokage's thinking allowed Madara to land a cheap shot to his chin, sending the Hokage flying back. Madara leaped forward to pursue but watched as Hashirama's momentum sent him into a tree, the strange thing was that there was no crater and it looked as if the man had planned it. Biting his lip, Madara looked around for his now missing enemy.

_'Damn, the Valley had no trees for him to use that technique on, damn him!'_

Hashirama allowed himself to slowly _slip_ out of a tree and began to go through hand signs as his opponent's back was turned. Finishing with the snake seal, the ground began to shift around Madara and he realized he would be in trouble if he didn't do something quick.

_'**Earth Release: Rising Stone Spears!**_**'**

"**Earth Release: Encompassing Mud Wall!**" As the spikes launched inwards to skewer him, Madara formed a protective earth wall around himself allowing the jutsu to cancel each other out.

Using his transparency technique, Madara walked out of the protective barrier and back out into the battlefield, waiting for his opponent to show his face again.

"Come on now Hashirama, don't tell me that all you have left is some tricks?" Suddenly, a dozen Hashirama's ran out and charged towards Madara; looking inside of them, he saw no chakra systems at all, allowing him to realize they were Wood Clones.

_'Too easy!'_

Allowing one to get up close, Madara ducked underneath the punch sent towards him and kicked the clone away, in the process shattering the ribcage made of wood. Seeing the others preparing to attack, Madara went through more hand signs and decided to use the man's own jutsu against them.

"**Earth Release: Rising Stone Spears!**" Spikes came out of the ground and skewered the few remaining clones, leaving Madara alone on the battlefield again.

_'Gotcha!'_

Madara was taken by surprise when he was suddenly dragged underground by an unseen force. Hashirama jumped out of the earth, showering dirt and rocks on the battlefield as Madara took his time in escaping from the simple jutsu. As Madara reappeared, Hashirama sent more stakes of wood flying out of the ground to attack the Uchiha.

Easily dodging them, Madara was surprised to find them following his movements and decided he would have to change plans. As one snaked around to stab him from behind, he sent a devastating axe kick onto the wood and made the stake fall limp to the ground. He rounded to hit another that was poised to strike him in the chest, shattering it with little semblance left of its original form.

Sensing a presence from behind, Madara turned to avoid a few kunai and found himself face to face with the real Hashirama. Sensing that playtime was over, the Senju Hokage knew that there was little time to waste and he knew he had to defeat Madara quickly. Memories of their last battle came back to him, and while Madara did have the Ultimate Mangekyo during that time, he had not developed those new powers so well.

_'I do not remember him using that transparency jutsu very much during our last fight, so I cannot gauge it that way. However, I have noticed that it takes little outward effort to do and he only does it when he is in danger. If he has to hit something, he must be solid and that is where I will have to strike; to do damage..I must be prepared to take a hit as well.'_ Hashirama cringed at the thought as he grappled with his old rival, neither getting an advantage in taijutsu.

"You've lost Senju! Once you're gone, I'll just recapture the beasts, you can't stop me!" Madara gloated, loving to see the angry vengeful look on the usually calm man.

"You've gone insane! I'm going to fix my mistake that I should have done years ago, and I would have had you not been a coward!" Those words affected Madara by making his blood boil and sent Hashirama reeling back with a kick to his abdomen.

"How dare you call me a coward! Its the Senju who sought peace because you knew we would win if your clan didn't move to more desperate terms!" Hashirama said nothing as he charged forward again and prepared to deliver a punch to his mortal enemy; Madara smirked and decided he would do the same, launching forward in an attempt to hit him first.

As their fists passed one another, Madara realized something was off about Hashirama's fist's trajectory. Taking the punch to his face, Hashirama held Madara in place and allowed a wooden stake to drive through their stomachs, taking a strange pleasure in the look of anguished surprise in Madara's eye.

"Surprised...Madara?" As both were impaled on the same stake, they were face to face and unable to move.

While the move did not necessarily harm Hashirama as it was not his body, it still did leave him unable to move. Madara for one never thought his old rival would result to such a trick to win, but then it was painfully obvious to him that there was no way the original Hashirama _could have_ done it as they both would have been harmed.

"You were summoned?" It seemed so obvious now, but in his blind rage in seeing the Senju alive he forgot reason; Hashirama smirked.

"Took you long enough.." Scowling underneath his mask, it soon changed to a strangled cry of pain as the stake began to shift.

"That's one secret you can't hide from me Madara..I was able to observe your jutsus apparent weakness to natural energy of any kind. My Wood Release was a perfect way to combat your transparency jutsu..it seemed we were destined to fight, huh?" Madara said nothing to the man, only trying to escape was his priority.

Sensing a presence behind him, Hashirama attempted to turn his head to see the new presence only to cringe at the sight; the death god hovered behind him and he knew it was time for him to go.

"Well Madara..my only regret was that I was unable to stop you with my own two hands..I guess I'll have to leave that to this generation of shinobi..the Will of Fire still burns brightly to the fate of the world." The Uchiha didn't understand what the man was getting at and continued to try and escape from the trap set upon him, getting desperate as the stake began to shake and falter.

Hashirama noticed that new arrivals had come, but he was too weak to look. It felt as if the undying energy that had been with him was being sapped, both he and the soul that had been housed in the body were being sapped away into the Death God. With his last piece of energy, Hashirama placed his hand on the struggling Madara's shoulder and bid him one last smile, a thing that only a true believer in the Will of Fire could give.

"DAMN YOU HASHIRAMA!"

"GRANDFATHER!" Tsunade had arrived in the field just as her venerable old grandfather began to disintegrate into ash and dirt, leaving nothing but a pile of the material behind.

Madara scowled at her presence and, with the Wood user finally gone, shucked off the weak and frail wooden stake that had impaled him. Holding his stomach in obvious pain, he turned to see that Jiraiya and more Leaf shinobi had arrived, obviously tracking him through his chakra.

"Stop him! He's the one that attacked the Leaf!" Jiraiya ordered and the Jonin leaped into action, charging forward to meet the heavy breathing Madara.

With the last of his strength, the Uchiha used his time space jutsu to return to Kirigakure. He had been defeated and most likely would die if he did not do something about his wound.

_'Damn you Hashirama..you must torment me even after death.'_

Tsunade slowly walked over to the pile of ash, seeing something glisten with the moonlight striking it. Brushing away what was left, Tsunade's eyes widened in shock to find her grandfather's necklace dangling from a dead Orochimaru's neck. Her old team-mate looked at peace, no evil smirk or curled cackle, just a man that got to die happy.

"Orochimaru..you didn't..did you really..sacrifice yourself?" Tsunade couldn't believe it, and she began to shake with silent sobs as she remembered the two men who had just died before her eyes.

A sudden strong grip to her shoulder made her look up and once again shock came to her. There was Jiraiya, her old friend who she had thought dead for up to a year since. At first, her eyes had only locked on Madara and her disappearing grandfather, she had tuned out the man's voice when he had given the order to attack and ignored her peripheral vision of his white hair as she stepped forward to observe the glistening necklace.

Now though, there were no obstructions, it was just her and Jiraiya. Without any words spoken, the old man smiled and lowered himself to his knees, bringing her face against his shoulder.

"There there Tsunade-hime.." he spoke softly, so softly it almost didn't sound like Jiraiya to her; it had to be though, no other man would have gotten so close. "Everything's alright now."

And for the first time for many, the Jonin and Sakura watched as Tsunade cried happy tears and held onto her fellow Sannin for all he was worth. It was a touching reunion and a welcome change to the horrid death and destruction that had happened only a moment before.

_'Is this..what Hashirama had planned for all along?'_

000

_Konohagakure_

_Village Gate_

_3 Days Later_

Tsunade, along with her immediate subordinates of Kakashi, Jiraiya, and Shikaku stood at the gate to welcome the four oncoming armies of the alliance. She stood with her Hokage hat on to have some semblance of her authority as Hokage; Jiraiya stood proud next to her and Shukaku and Kakashi flanked them with their hands in their pockets.

It was soon realized that, without Jiraiya's intuition in going to Orochimaru for help, that the Leaf village would have been destroyed. It is impossible to rouse an army and arrive at a foreign place on a moment's notice, things like that take time. Time it seemed, that Konoha could not have afforded. Now they were waiting for the imminent arrival of the armies so that they could plan the counterattack.

"Do you think they will believe what happened?" Questioned Kakashi, it was a bit unbelievable to think the criminal Orochimaru would sacrifice himself to summon Hashirama Senju from the grave and save Konoha from four tailed beasts and Madara himself.

Tsunade looked at the Jonin and shrugged. "Most likely not, however, we don't need to tell them every detail. We will keep things short and hope that the Raikage can make some sense on what to do next." She turned back to staring down the road, a small dust cloud could be seen in the distance.

Jiraiya looked at his team-mate, glad to see she had recovered since three days ago. While he had been quite afraid of her reaction to him coming back to life so suddenly, she had been quite hospitable to him. In fact, he noticed she smiled a lot more around him than she used to.

_'Hmm..it must be my manly charms have finally gotten to her. I knew they would eventually.'_ His perverted smirk got the better of his face and Tsunade glared in his direction.

"You gotta problem Jiraiya?" She showed her fist as proof and he quickly held up his hands in defense, although his eyes did wander to her chest, now adorned with the First Hokage's necklace. His smile left him for a more serious demeanor as he remembered what the woman had said when she took it from Orochimaru.

"_I'm going to return it to who it rightfully belongs to..and hope that he can forgive me for my harsh words..he's more fit to hold the kage title than I am."_

_'Naruto..I wonder what you will say when she finds you again? I know you deserve an apology from me at least..'_

"Ma'am, they are here." Shikaku noted and Tsunade turned to see the four other leaders standing in front of her with their forces intermingling with each other behind them.

"Tsunade..I see your village wasn't destroyed." A noted, and she couldn't tell if the man was happy or sad about the fact.

"Yes that's right, it seems that thanks to my team-mates return and an outside source of help, we were able to route Madara's attack. I believe its time we take the fight to him though, my village just barely averted this close call." Onoki grunted and Tsunade inclined her head to view him at his short height.

"Now wait a minute Tsunade-hime, where exactly are the tailed beasts? I think its only fair we recover those we have lost as our own." Tsunade gritted her teeth as the selfish old man reared his head again.

"They are gone, I sent shinobi to investigate their whereabouts but it seems the beasts have disappeared." Onoki's eyes widened in surprise.

"Disappeared? How does something that large just.._disappear_?" Tsunade shrugged and turned back to A, awaiting his judgment.

"Hmm...I you are right Tsunade, I think its time we take the fight to Madara to keep something like this from happening again. We shall allow our armies to rest for now and give you time to gather your forces, once you are prepared, we march for the coast and then sail to Kirigakure to finish this war!" A cheer elicited from the men behind the kage and Tsunade began to give orders for them to disperse and find housing.

The alliance of the great elemental nations was finally showing its fangs, but the Uzu Sphere was already two steps ahead of them.

000

_Uzugakure_

_Uzukage Tower_

_Two Weeks Later_

"Ma'am..its time." Mei sat in her husband's chair, waiting for the final reports to come in of Uzu's battle readiness.

Looking at Ao, she sighed and realized the fated day had finally come. The day they take the fight to Kiri with the allies Naruto had garnered. While Snow was unable to send military support, new chakra armor had come in and been issued to all active ANBU squads as well as high ranking officers. Ao's usual red cloak was now filled out with the armor that it held beneath, a custom color made for Uzu all the armor plates were red. Mei also had one, although she did not like its design and chose not to wear it; she also had a unique one made for Naruto, although she was unable to send it to him.

"I see..shall we go then?" Ao nodded and she got up from her seat and walked out of the office with him following close behind.

As they walked, the Hurricanes fell into step behind them completing the now group of eight. Mei soon arrived at the lobby and exited the building to find Uzugakure's gathered forces awaiting her command. Squads of Jonin, Chunin, ANBU, and Medical teams were standing at attention in columns waiting for her command. This was the frightening power of an entire shinobi village geared for war, and it was the first time Uzu was the one taking the fight to the enemy.

"Platoon march!" She ordered and the columns began to march towards the village gate along with Mei's entourage in the front.

Families lined the streets, watching the men and women guardians of their village pass them by. Banners and other heraldry hung high along the shinobi marchers, the ninja proudly marching to the drills of drummers and musicians. The Uzumaki Swirl adorned something everywhere a person would look, the village showing their pride for their ancestry and for their armed forces.

The army left the gates of their beloved village behind, it was time now for war. It wouldn't be long before they reached the shores and, together with their gathered allies, set sail with their ships to Kirigakure, the final stop of the war.

000

_Kirigakure_

_Mizukage's Office_

Madara sat upon his throne, holding his stomach from the throbbing pain. It had been a little over two weeks since his reunion with Hashirama and it only made him realize just how weak he was compared to that man. His wounds from the battle over decades ago had not yet recovered and the most recently inflicted one was still hampering the Uchiha.

To make matters worse, what was left of his intelligence forces alerted him to the impending invasion of not only Uzu and her allies but the Elemental Nations and their alliance. There was little left for Madara to do and there was nowhere left to run. He would not die easily though, he would take Kirigakure's forces and as many Uzumaki down with him as he could.

"Mizukage-sama!" A man burst through the doors to the office and quickly bowed in apologies.

"Sir, enemy forces have been sighted at the rock barriers you ordered created! The Uzu Sphere forces have arrived!" Madara scowled, they came quicker than he expected. Making to stand up, a hand suddenly went to his stomach and he growled in pain.

"Sir, you shouldn't strain yourself! The front isn't a place you should-" The shinobi was cut off when his throat was being gripped tightly by Madara.

"I dare you to finish that sentence..you little _worm_!" He threw the messenger across the room and began to hobble out of the building, intent on being near the front to view the battle.

_'I will not let Hashirama win so easily..I am not finished yet!'_

000

_Kiri's Coast_

_Staging Point_

_Start of Defensive Barriers_

"Ma'am, it appears our ships cannot go any further with these rocks in our way." Ao noted as he and the Mizukage observed the long line of sharp rocks that lined the coast of Kiri's main isle.

"So it seems..we can't go around either as this is the only area with a sizable dock to fit all our ships. It seems this is where we get off." Mei suddenly jumped off the boat and began to walk on the water, and many shinobi began to follow suit until the entire force was marching across the sea.

"We aren't too far from land, it should only be a few minutes to reach the docks." Chojuro warned the group as they proceeded across the water.

Suddenly sensing danger, Mei held up a hand to stop and watched as the water in front of the army began to form a large vortex. From the middle of the vortex came a gigantic water dragon and it bellowed out a challenge to the shinobi gathered. A few Hyo clansmen came up, their affiliation obvious with their dark hair and icy blue eyes, and placed their hands on the water.

It wasn't long before the entire water dragon was frozen solid and nothing but a mere decorative piece in the middle of the sea. From either flank of it came Kirigakure shinobi and it was soon a battle royal between both forces. Mei fell back to get a better vantage point rather than get bogged down in the fight, jumping up onto one of the large rock barriers.

It wasn't long before it became apparent to her that new presences had arrived and it seemed as though the Elemental Alliance forces had come to their aid. Kumo's white flak vests intermingled with Uzu's red and earth and fire techniques sprung out to meet Kiri's water jutsu. Turning to her left, Mei saw Tsunade standing next to her with a big smile on her face.

"Mei Terumi, Fifth Mizukage." Mei cringed and turned her attention back to the battle, looking for someone in particular.

"My name is Mei _Uzumaki_ thank you, and I am not the Mizukage. You should begin to participate in the fighting now Hokage before we do all the work for you. Akeru!" Tsunade watched as a man appeared near Mei, obviously a special forces type of some sort with a large scroll on his belt.

"Yes Mei-sama." He nodded his head in respect and waited for her orders; just as Naruto's orders had requested of him, he now held onto the scroll that would summon their fearless leader into battle.

"I want you to get ready to summon Naruto, I fear it won't be long before Madara decides to come against us." The man saluted and disappeared to prepare for the summoning while Tsunade eyed the woman curiously.

"I was wondering where Naruto was. What has he been doing?" Mei looked at her and gave her a simple answer, hoping she would allow her some space.

"Training to fight Madara." Before Tsunade could make to answer, it seemed the fight further intensified with a new surge of Kiri's reinforcements joining the large battle on the sea.

Mei spied an orange mask and knew Madara had come in person this time. Finding Akeru, she gave him the signal to summon Naruto. The man nodded and, together with his squad of Beast Tamers, opened the large scroll and began to gather the sufficient chakra needed to bring Naruto and his forces to their location.

Madara, using his sharingan eye, was able to see past the battle and lock onto the imminent danger of what Akeru could bring upon him. Charging forward through the mass of fighters, he knocked away any warrior who would stand in his way, disappearing and reappearing from one side of the battle area to the other unscathed. Mei realized Akeru would be in danger and quickly moved to intercept with Tsunade close behind her. Madara saw the previous Mizukage come at him and ignored her, knowing it was only a distraction.

Akeru held his ground and prepared to summon Naruto even if it would cost him his life to do so. Just as Madara arrived to take a stab at the ANBU captain, a large puff of smoke appeared and covered easily half of the battlefield.

Madara felt an overwhelming feeling of heat come from in front of him where the summoning circle was and leaped backwards from danger. Mei had stopped her charge just short of the scroll and now waited impatiently for the smoke to clear, she wanted to see her husband again after so long.

When it finally did clear, she was frightened at what her husband had.._transformed_ into.

"What the hell?" Madara said aloud, trying to figure out just what he was looking at.

"Behold, Naruto-sama's training has been completed! The first human to ever harness..the avatar form!" Yomara announced, he was one of six large Lava Monkeys that had come along with Naruto to fight alongside him and his people.

"Avatar..form?" Mei sounded it out but could not come to grips with the sight of him..the power and heat that surrounded him were overwhelming it almost brought _her_ to her knees.

"_Madara Uchiha..I have come to destroy you!"_

000

Oh! If you thought last chapter was suspenseful, I'm sure you'll hate me for the cliffhanger I left you on now. You'll have to wait until next chapter to learn of just what Naruto looks like in avatar form, but I'll leave it up to you to imagine for now. Like I said, expect the next two chapters to be short as one is a fight and the other is the epilogue! We are almost done!

Review!

Peace out!


	33. The Final Battle, Avatar vs Sharingan!

Uzumaki Clan's Rebirth

Chapter 33

The Final Battle, Avatar vs. Sharingan!

**Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO! If I did, Naruto would live in Kirigakure and love on the Mizukage.**

"speaking"

_'thinking'_

"**Jutsu**"

**"Tailed Beast Speak"**

"_Radio Speak"_

NaruxMei

**BLOODLINE WARNING**: Naruto uses **Lava** and **Boil** Release in this story. He has three elements in total because of his bloodlimit, Fire, Water, and Earth.

**Arc: Uzu no Kuni, 6th Elemental Nation!**

I have a very important update in case you don't visit my profile regularly, which I don't expect many to do anyway. A fan of this story and many of my others, Samuraiguy2, has taken time out of his busy schedule and done some lineart for this story! Its a portrait of Naruto, Mei, and Roshi all together. It is not colored of course as it is still in sketch, but I think it looks very good regardless. I encourage you to go to my profile page and take a look at it in the link labeled Family Portrait.

Alright, enough for the sappy stuff, you guys came here for a battle. Enjoy the final battle and the falling action of Uzumaki Clan's Rebirth! Oh yeah, and bring some tissues into the room. I'm serious, for some of you this could be a tear jerker, so please, go get some paper towels or something to wipe away those tears. I came close a few times.

000

_Coast of Kiri_

_Battlefield_

"Naru..to?" Mei called out questioningly, not sure if was really her husband standing before everyone; the figure picked up on her voice and turned to face her, fully revealing his new form to her.

Naruto's tanned skin, Uzu clothing, nor his blonde locks were showing on him, making it even more difficult to tell who he was. His blue eyes were now only white orbs, and they were the only features showing on his face. The rest of his body was completely encased in shifting, cracking, and heated lava; it was not like a jutsu though, Mei could tell it was completely natural lava straight from a volcano. From his body, bits and pieces of rock and lava would drip down onto the water surface and create hot steam, further proving its lethal properties.

It made it seem as if Naruto's entire body was alight with fire apart from a few spaces of solidified, rocky magma. Surprisingly, or perhaps unsurprisingly, the spiky form of his hair had been retained even with lava covering it at least making his head seem somewhat recognizable. To explain simply, Mei and everyone else that had known Naruto before were speechless by his radical transformation.

Madara wasn't pleased, nor did he make it seem as if he was impressed. His glare remained as Naruto continued to eye his wife and an evil plan came to the man.

_'Wouldn't it be so sad if the jinchuuriki was to lose his wife before he died?'_

Naruto started to reach out an arm towards Mei, to reassure her it was still him. Mei felt comforted by it, and began to take tentative steps closer to what she thought was her Naruto. Madara took that lapse in concentration to charge forward towards Naruto's wife, as the avatar's back was to him and he hoped to avoid detection.

Naruto's outward appearance did not reveal surprise, however, his body began to tense as he _felt_ Madara's body heat come closer to his own. Mei had gotten closer to Naruto when she was able to see Madara coming around his side and quickly prepared to defend herself. The man chuckled as he knew it was too late, his arm was already outstretched to strangle Mei's throat and she didn't have the time to dodge.

With speed that even left Madara speechless, Naruto caught the man's outstretched arm just as he passed by. It only took a moment for the Uchiha's brain to register the extreme pain that came from Naruto's touch and reeled away from the group, nursing his burning arm.

_'Dammit, it was like a blur! How could I not detect his movement?'_ Mei turned her attention from the retreating Madara back to Naruto, amazed at his sheer speed.

_'This..really is Naruto.'_ A smile came to her lips as the protective action done by the avatar confirmed it, her husband had completed the training and came there to finish the fight, just as he promised her.

"_Mei..I won't be long now. I'll finish this so we can both go home, and raise Roshi as a family. Wait for me."_ His voice came out distorted and raspy, as if his throat had been burned, but Mei heard every word clearly.

A tear came to her eye and she relinquished, nodding in affirmation to Naruto. Tsunade and the others, including Ao and Chojuro, were touched by the scene even amidst the chaos. Without further warning, Naruto disappeared into a blur and the next thing everyone saw was the rock Madara was standing on shatter to pieces just as the masked man barely jumped away in time.

_'So fast!'_ Ao could barely track the boy with his Byakugan activated, his enhanced speed was astounding!

_'Wow, he has to have the same strength as I do with my Chakra Fist.'_ Tsunade noted, her super strength seemed to have found a rival with Naruto's taijutsu strength.

As Naruto lured away Madara with lightning speed taijutsu, Yomara and the other Lava Monkeys ran over the water to brief Mei and the others. To see the personal summons accompanying her husband was reassuring, and even then Mei felt good to have their support. There duty was to keep Naruto fighting, no matter what.

"Mei-sama! You must get the battle away from here, Naruto-sama's new powers are difficult to reign in and your forces will be caught in the crossfire. He also suggested you evacuate Kiri's population, in case the battle moves inland." Mei was surprised by the information supplied to her by the monkey, and she cast a lingering stare on Naruto's disappearing form over the ocean.

_'Is his new form really that destructive?'_

"I understand, this battle should be over soon anyway. We will join in and see to it that Kiri's forces are routed, then we will proceed to the village and forcefully evacuate the population if need be. And please..stay with my husband and keep him safe." Yomara nodded and, along with the other monkeys, began to run towards Naruto's retreating form.

"That was the plan all along Mei-sama, Naruto knew you would say something like that!" He yelled over his shoulder as he ran off, leaving Mei with some form of comfort.

Turning around towards the others, her 'kage' face back on, Mei began to issue orders. Without any doubt left in her heart, it was Mei's turn to go through with her duties so that Naruto could come home with her.

"Alright, Chojuro, take command here and finish off these Kiri soldiers. Capture as many as you can take and get the boats out to sea until we have need of them. Ao, you, the ANBU, and the Medical Teams will be with me as we head straight for the city to evacuate." Chojuro and Ao saluted, allowing the swordsman to head into the battle area and Ao to take his place next to Mei.

"What's the plan ma'am? Even if we can evacuate the civilians in the village, what about the other inhabitants around the isle?" Mei began to take off running towards the docks and Ao struggled to follow, sending out a special whistle to the surrounding area.

Over two dozen masked shinobi quickly took up positions behind Ao and Mei as they ran across the water, leading their entourage to be complete. Mei looked over her shoulder at Ao and smirked, making him confused.

"Come on Ao, do you think the people are really that foolish? When Madara began with these defenses, the people were evacuated to the village under the impending invasion scenario clause. _I_ wrote it, as my predecessor did not have any such plan should an invasion fall on Kiri. As for the capital, it should be safe from any blast radius." Ao was surprised by her answer but then smiled, knowing he had to trust Mei's leadership abilities to the highest degree.

"Yes ma'am, sounds like a plan."

000

_Kiri's Sea_

_Naruto's Battleground_

"Dammit, back you little bastard!" Madara avoided another punch from Naruto and felt himself growing farther from the conflict zone.

_'He's doing it on purpose! He's trying to make me get away from the battlefield!'_

Madara catapulted back and prepared for a counterattack when he felt something hot sting his backside. He looked to find his Akatsuki robe had caught fire and he was forced to drop it to the ground as it disintegrated. Glaring at the thing in front of him, Madara bent his knees and positioned his arms over one another. With a puff of smoke, Madara then had bracers on either wrist with strength-enhanced chains attached.

Naruto eyed the man curiously, waiting for his next move. It wasn't long before Madara charged at him full force with the chains in an attempt to subdue him. Naruto allowed the chains to wrap around his body and felt the Uchiha close to his ear behind his back. The man was holding his wrists to his chest in an X-shape, attempting to grapple Naruto's body into a tight hold.

"You may have delayed my plans for a time, jinchuuriki, but you haven't _changed_ them. I will still have my world domination, only this time your family won't live to see the end of it!" That was enough for Naruto and Madara watched helplessly as his tough chains were melted through instantly.

With a sudden twist of his body, Naruto almost landed a blow on the man's revealed body, but he was able to become transparent before then. Sensing new presences, Madara turned to view six Lava Monkeys come into view and begin to go through hand signs.

_'A summoning jutsu?'_ He asked himself in confusion when he finished reading the hand signs, only to pale when he saw what they had summoned.

Straight from the bowels of the earth itself, lava began to cover the battlefield and instantly heat up the water, creating a very thick steam. Madara attempted to see through the mist, but found himself just as blinded with his normal eye as he was his sharingan. Naruto stepped onto the lethal magma effortlessly and, without hand signs, began to control it with just simple movements of his arms.

Madara felt an incoming danger and twisted right, barely dodging a lava bullet. He could sense no chakra inside any of the attacks, meaning they were manipulated by something else, something more..primal. Yomara smirked as Naruto made use of the lava and showed off one of the more major abilities of his avatar form.

_'By mixing geothermic heat and his own chakra within his body effortlessly, Naruto gained the ability to manipulate natural lava without the use of his own energy. While this would not be advantageous anywhere but a volcano, with us, he could summon as much lava as he needed. It will be difficult for the sharingan to detect incoming attacks if they are not using chakra!'_

To his surprise, Madara looked beneath him and found the lava crawling up his body and quickly sought to escape the trap. It was too late though, his transparency couldn't go through the natural element so easily, just like the wood element, and the man was entirely covered in the deadly substance.

Naruto eyed the spot where Madara occupied warily, he didn't believe for a second that the man would die so easily. He made the lava recede after a few tense moments, knowing that anything beneath it would be dead by then. As he expected, it was not Madara beneath the lava, but a clone of Zetsu.

Sensing two presences coming at him from either side, Naruto threw his arms out to either side of him and lava spikes impaled both enemies. The steam dissipated to reveal a shocked Zetsu and an even more surprised Kisame both hanging off of his lava attack. Both were bleeding from their mouths and one could see their bodies beginning to dissolve from the lethal attack that had pierced either.

"Why..can't Samehada..absorb you?" Kisame rasped out, barely able to breathe as his lungs began to melt; Naruto turned towards him and relinquished his hold on Zetsu's spike, allowing the man's dying body to dissolve faster as it hit the lava bed.

"_I am pure geothermic energy..it will take much more than that to reach my chakra and physical body. Your chakra leeching sword can't touch me."_

Not even able to curse Naruto with his last breathe, Kisame felt the lava close around him as Naruto held up an open fist towards him. Just as Gaara would use his sand as a coffin, Naruto repeated the process but with the Uzumaki blend, lava. Closing his fist, he concentrated the lava and destroyed the criminal's body in one swoop.

_'Now that I have taken care of them..that only leaves their boss.'_ Naruto brought his hands together and began to reach out to find Madara's unique body temperature signal.

His white orbs widened in surprise when he found the man was nearing Kirigakure, no doubt trying to stop Mei. With a great burst of speed that surprised his monkey retainers, Naruto launched himself forward across the water, crossing the distance between the sea and shore in mere moments. From a bystander's view, it only looked as if the water was parting for some unseen force of nature.

000

_Kiri's Sea_

_Boats_

Chojuro finished checking the last boat to make sure every shinobi save for Mei's forces were on board, dead or alive. They had finished securing the Kiri prisoners, having quite a lot of them after the army became demoralized with Madara gone. With little else to do, the swordsman got out of the ship's bowels and stood upon the deck, watching the shoreline for movement.

_'Please Mei-san..Naruto-san..please win!'_

000

_Kirigakure_

The evacuation was well underway, the ANBU teams were all well versed with Kiri's layout as most if not all had lived their before their lives in Uzu began. Mei was with two ANBU and Ao, using his Byakugan to search homes they might have missed.

_'Come on..we have to be sure we get everyone!'_ Ao thought to himself, pushing his mind even harder to focus on searching.

Sighting a small child on the street, Mei leaped down from the rooftops and quickly bent down to pick the girl up. She wiped a bit of dirt that had fallen on the child's face, it made the girl smile with her small teeth just coming in through the gums.

"Well hello little one, where are your parents?" The girl shook her head, not knowing what happened to them in the chaos of the invasion.

Ao and the ANBU leaped down to assist her in getting the child out of the street. With Ao's enhanced senses, he could see something approaching them from the North and attempted to warn Mei.

"Ma'am! Give the child to the ANBU, we've got trouble!" Mei looked at the man confusedly but then saw someone running towards their group down at the end of the road.

She quickly handed the child off to the ANBU and prepared herself. Ao took up a position next to her as the ANBU quickly fled with the child to safety under the Uzukage's wife's orders. Madara had lost his two most loyal henchmen with one fell swoop, and he was tired of buying time. He had to take action, and what better way to kill the boy's spirit than by killing his wife.

_'Its over for you girl..just like I should have done during the Massacres!'_

Mei rushed forward to meet the man's charge, contrary to Ao's warning. The man cursed and tried to go after her, but even he couldn't keep up with the woman in speed.

_'Dammit! What the hell is she thinking?'_

"It's over!" Madara's forearm hit against Mei's as the two fighters impacted, vying over the others strength.

As the man slowly began to push her back, his other arm summoned a kunai and sent it straight for her gut. Mei saw his action and moved to dodge only to feel her wrists tied up with the man's chains, keeping her from moving so easily. She scowled as the knife came closer and prepared to take the hit.

Naruto impacted Madara from his flank with such force that it sent the man _through_ two buildings and two streets over. Without even stopping to say anything, Naruto continued to his pursuit of the man who had tried to not only harm him, but now his wife a second time.

Mei just kept looking at the destruction Naruto's punch had made, unable to bring words to it. She was awoken when Ao gripped her arm and shook her lightly, forcing her out of the daydream.

"Ma'am, we should go. The last of our forces are evacuating those gathered at the gate, and it wouldn't do well for us to disobey Naruto's wishes." Mei nodded reluctantly, she truly wished to stay and help Naruto, but even now, she could not bring herself to go against his judgment.

"Right, let's get moving!" The two departed Kirigakure with Mei being the only one to look back, forcing Ao to cringe in helplessness.

_'She is really concerned about him..I should say something.'_

"Don't worry Mei-sama..Naruto will be fine. He's a lot stronger than anyone I know, and he doesn't go back on his word. He promised to come back, so that means he will." Mei was surprised by Ao's response but nodded nonetheless, allowing a smile to grace her features.

"Yes..you're right Ao. Naruto wouldn't want to see me cry over something like this, I just have to believe in him..we _all_ need to believe in him."

000

_Kirigakure_

_Roof of Mizukage's Office_

Madara fell out of the portal again with little finesse; that was the second time an enemy had forced him into using his jutsu unprepared. Naruto's punch had not only broken the orange mask that now lay broken and discarded on the ground, but it had burned much of his face. To say Madara was angry was an understatement, he was _livid_.

_'How dare that brat lay a hand on me! I still couldn't sense him thanks to his lava encasement, it's as if it is keeping any chakra from seeping out for my sharingan to see.'_

With little time to spare, Madara jumped away from the spot on the ground he had occupied when it was broken through from the inside of the building. Naruto burst out of the concrete roof and began to walk towards Madara, a no nonsense feeling could be felt from him. Madara could tell the subtle change since he had tried to attack his wife the last time, obviously he was a protective husband.

"Now listen, I know you're ang-" Madara was cut off when Naruto attempted to punch him in the gut only for Naruto to sail through him; as soon as he passed through, Naruto was able to touch Madara's back and the man quickly ripped off the shirt's cloth that was on fire.

"_Its about time we finish this, old man."_ Madara flinched at the insult and held himself steady, ready to face off against Naruto, avatar form or no.

_'I'll prove you wrong Hashirama..there is no way this kid can kill me!'_

To prove his point, Madara charged forward and dodged Naruto's defense, a low aiming punch to Madara's gut. He was able to land a hit on the boy with a chakra-encased fist, sending the Uzukage sailing backwards. As he watched Naruto slide on the roof to recover from the hit, it was then that he was made to frown in disappointment when Naruto's face looked back at him; the cheek where he had hit was sizzling and red hot with active lava, it then cooled to a dark brown as the armor reformed and Naruto shrugged off his hit.

_'What does it take to kill this kage?'_

"You are truly befitting of your rank of kage, you know that? You are almost as much of a thorn in my side as Hashirama was in our day. You should take that as a compliment, I haven't said it to very many." Naruto made no move of recognition and instead brought up his arms for an attack, making Madara cringe as the fight began again in earnest.

Two geysers of lava were sent launching from his palms forcing Madara to evade by sidestepping. To his surprise, the large shots followed after him and forced him to run to the other side of the building. When he arrived at the edge, Madara turned and leaped forward, twisting his body so that he would fit between the two geysers as they launched past.

What he hadn't counted on was Naruto being able to move during his attack and he soon felt the sickening crunch of his ribcage shattering from the knee that had lodged itself in his chest. Madara saw the boy bring his hands together into a fist and knew he was going to try and slam him into the ground, so he went transparent.

Both fell to the ground, although one did so much more gracefully than the other. Madara landed in a heap, creating a small crater as his body fully impacted the ground. As his body had gone into shock when the knee had shattered his chest, the man was now free to scream in pain as the wounds Hashirama inflicted now reopened in earnest.

_'Damn..if I had been in my prime..he wouldn't have landed the first punch. I can barely see..this is bad.'_

Madara brought himself to look at Naruto, and was shocked to see the boy was no longer encased in lava; now he was back in his old clothing and breathing heavily from exertion. It seemed the avatar form put a lot of stress on the boy's body, as he was on all fours trying to catch his breathe. Blue orbs met red ones as the two combatants looked into each others eyes as if reading their conditions.

"You..are going to die...very soon." Naruto forced his voice to speak, although it sounded as if he was still in avatar form; his entire body was working in overtime to recover from the use of the avatar.

Madara chuckled, although the blood that escaped from his mouth seemed contrary to his upbeat attitude. With his one sharingan eye revealed, the man put the last of his energy into preparing one last move.

"Come on boy, don't you want to ask me some questions? I'm sure you are curious of something I did to try and ruin your life..if I'm going to die then ask away." Naruto snorted despite himself, there was little he had to say to the man.

"I..have nothing to ask..other than you dying quicker than you are now." Madara said nothing, only allowing more blood to leak from his mouth.

"Come on..don't you want to know how I pulled off manipulating Danzo and that old friend of yours..Sasuke?" Naruto's eyes widened and he looked at Madara with renewed interest, eliciting a bloody smile from the man.

"Oh yes, that's right. We both know just how much Danzo loved that village..he would never betray it..he entered Akatsuki with one goal in mind, destroy it from within. I easily found out about his plan..and the first chance I got.." Madara paused again in his speech, attempting to suck in some air. "I cast a genjutsu on him..one that even his sharingan couldn't see through. I manipulated him from his defection until his death..and he didn't even know." Naruto's fists tightened as he stared at the man, not believing his haughtiness.

"What about..Sasuke?" Madara smiled at the question and continued.

"Well, Sasuke was much easier. He was with me up until the point we transferred his brother's eyes into his..at that point..he..tried to kill me. Said _he_ was the only one that should rightfully hold the Uchiha name..it was then that I subdued him..and controlled him with my sharingan..neither of them broke free of it until the last moment's of their lives.."

"_Mother..Itachi..I'm sorry."_

_Tsunade noticed something off about Danzo's normal eye and took a closer look as the room began to clear._

_'That's strange, I thought for sure I saw a-'_

"_Tsunade-sama, we have to go!"_ _Tsunade reluctantly left, allowing Danzo's body to fall over limp and the sharingan to disappear from his eye, Madara had relinquished control._

"So..it's all been you..from the very start." Naruto said rhetorically; every villain, every obstacle, everything was traced back to Madara.

"Yes..I have been your only enemy since the beginning..and it seems like I will be your last one as well." Naruto's eyes widened in surprise when Madara's sharingan changed shape, taking on the form of his eternal mangekyo.

"What are you doing?" Naruto felt a great suction begin to pull him towards Madara's eye and the man began to cackle unmercifully.

"If I can't kill you with this body, I will allow you to die in the void! You and the rest of the pitiful shinobi that came to this island will die! Your son will be left an orphan and you will never see your wife again! To be alone and accursed, that is your destiny, JINCHUURIKI!" Naruto's eyes widened as he saw the buildings surrounding them begin to fall apart and fall into the endless vortex of Madara's eye.

_'He's insane..he'll kill himself just to take me with him!'_

Feeling the suction grow stronger, Naruto punched a hole in the concrete and held on for dear life. Madara's laughing was covered up by the great sounds of wind whipping back and forth and crumbling foundations of concrete shatter as the entire city began to fall under the influence of the vortex. Naruto reared a hand back and untied his headband, slowly placing it in the hole he had created.

With little time left, he reached into his holster and took out a kunai, slamming it into the ground and holding the headband securely. Knowing the last thing he had to do, Naruto took a moment of peace to find calm inside of himself, remembering those that had come before him, and those that were with him now.

"_I'm going to become the greatest Hokage!"_

Naruto smiled at his memory of living in Konoha, the wish to become acknowledged was a craving; with his life in Uzu, no matter how short, he had accomplished it.

"_Never give up, that's your Ninja Way!"_

His thoughts drifted to Jiraiya, his mentor for a time, if nothing else remained with him, those words would ring true with everything he had done.

"_You've gotten stronger..stronger than me I think..and in more ways than one."_

Kakashi's words of praise rang into his ears, and he realized that many people thought that way about him, and he wondered if it was really true.

"_The Will of Fire burns strong..in all of you."_

The Third flashed into his mind, reminding him that the reason why he continued to fight, the reason he was able to convince Nagato, the reason he was still alive was because of his hope for peace and for the future of humanity.

"_Make us proud son..I know you can do it!"_

_'Dad...I promised I would..and I don't go back on my word.'_

"_Make sure to find yourself a nice little Uzumaki girl, alright Naruto?"_

_'I did Mom..I only wish I could have introduced you to her..'_

"_I love you Naruto..I believe in you..come back to me!"_

The final words brought tears to his eyes as his thoughts drifted to Mei and little Roshi, it seemed there was one promise he wasn't strong enough to keep.

Looking up, Naruto's eyes widened when he saw Mei standing there, unaffected by Madara or the crumbling city, and she was holding Roshi with a big smile. She didn't seem to notice him, she only kept smiling at the playful Roshi who was giggling like a maniac as her fingers danced in front of his eyes. His eyes locked with hers for a moment, and it seemed as though her smile intensified before she began to fade away.

A sad smile came to his lips and he tasted his salty tears, it seemed fate loved to play a cruel joke, no matter who it was on.

_'Whether its a mirage or not..Mei..please give me your strength..one last time!'_

Relinquishing his hold on the handhold, Naruto felt the suction intensify and begin to pull him backwards. With a few hand signs, Naruto yelled out his final jutsu in desperation, hoping it would work.

"**LAVA RELEASE! GREAT MAGMA DOME!**"

A city-wide dome began to stretch high up into the sky, to contain the jutsu that Madara had threatened to use on the fleet of ships at sea. With the last of his strength, Naruto fought to maintain the jutsu for as long as he could, absorbing multiple blows of oncoming debris and branches that impacted him. Feeling a sharp pain impale him, Naruto looked down to see his stomach impaled clean through, he glanced behind to see Madara stabbing into him with a metal pole.

"You bastard..why do you keep trying? WHY DON'T YOU JUST DIE YOU DAMN UZUMAKI!" Naruto spit out some blood and began to gather chakra into his hand, forming a perfect rasengan in seconds.

"Because..UZUMAKI..NEVER GIVE UP!" Naruto let the suction pull him towards Madara and sent his rasengan right into the man's gut.

As the final blow to the man, he sped his jutsu up with every ounce of energy he had, the black hole he had formed had almost taken the entire city, leaving a barren crater of dirt and concrete. Naruto and Madara were sucked in last, leaving the barren wasteland void of everything..but a hero's final farewell.

With the ground rooted up, Naruto's kunai was clearly impaled into the tough ground still, his headband lay still on the ground without a master to wear it. The war was over..but the hero was gone.

000

I just want everyone to know that I thought about ending it here, but, I can't yet. This would be too sad, so hopefully you'll forgive me as you read the final part of the chapter. It's _not_ the epilogue.

000

_Kirigakure_

_30 Minutes Later_

_Aftermath of Madara's Final Jutsu_

"Mei-sama, wait!" Mei shrugged off Ao's hold on her sleeve and kept running through the broken and uprooted foliage to find her husband.

Everyone had been on the boats when they saw the large storm get created over Kiri, the winds were strong enough to create large waves on the sea. When Mei saw the lava dome encase the city, it was then she knew something was very wrong, and immediately departed despite the warnings given by the others. She had to know what happened, she had to see for herself.

"There!" Mei reached the outskirts of the lava dome and, keeping her speed high, slammed her fist into the dome, shattering a small piece of it.

_'Naruto made this one strong..Madara's attack must have been bad.'_

Mei used the small opening to enter and found herself looking at a large crater of where Kirigakure had been. There was little left, a few pieces of concrete, some roughed up dirt, and a few trees that were split up or broken in a dozen places. There was no body..no Naruto.

Mei walked along the broken shell of the city, looking around for anything that could be helpful. A glint of silver made her head swivel and a smile reach her lips, Naruto's headband! She ran over to where it was glistening in the dirt; Ao frowned as his Byakugan told him the ugly truth of the matter, no one but them was there.

Mei's smile quickly faltered when she saw the Uzu's red cloth tethered not to a blonde head but a kunai. With nothing else left for her, Mei dropped to her knees in anguish and began to sob. Ao kept his distance, giving her the time that only her man should have been with her. He looked at the headband and he too lost it, tears fell from his eyes as a scowl crept onto his lips.

"GOD DAMMIT!" His fist went slamming into a concrete block next to him, completely shattering it into smaller pieces; he rested his head against what was left of it, slowly beating his fist into the concrete with less and less vigor.

Mei took another look at the headband and knew that her husband was gone, but he had left a memento behind for her. Taking caution to not dislodge kunai from the ground, she pulled the headband from it with little damage coming to the cloth or the kunai's position. She held it in her arms, close to her breasts, a last memento to her of who he was and what he had done for her and the world.

Heat hit her head and Mei looked up to see the sunlight beaming down from the very center of the dome head as the lava began to fall away to the earth. Mei found it very iconic, the last spot her husband had occupied, the sun was illuminating; maybe it was kami, even she was giving her condolences to the fallen hero.

_'Naruto..your headband..will be Roshi's one day. I will..never forget this sacrifice..and I will never stop loving you.'_

She felt a presence to her left and found Ao looking at the kunai lodged into the ground. A questioning gaze was sent her way, and Mei allowed a sad smile to come to her tearful visage.

"It will be his memorial here, that kunai will serve as a reminder of the greatest sacrifice known to humankind done by one of its outcasts. Naruto saved the world..and this time..everyone will acknowledge him...Let's go Ao." Mei began to walk away, taking all of her power not to turn around or else she would only break down again.

Ao turned to walk with her but something made him take one last look at the kunai; it was the three pronged one, the one Naruto said had made his father famous. The boy had used it many times during his stay in Kirigakure, but for some reason, it seemed as if he had been saving them since he began to live in Uzu. Feeling it was a fitting memorial for him, Ao turned around and began to follow Mei out, allowing his thoughts to drift to the Shodai.

_'You were one of the greatest pains in the ass I have ever had Naruto. You showed me up when you were a hunter in Kiri, then you go and worry me when you went out to get revenge for Root's attack. Then I let you lead me around as the Shodai Uzukage..and I never said the one thing you probably deserved the most..you were one of the greatest men I have ever known..and I'm glad I got to meet you.'_

000

_3 Days after the Final Battle_

_Konohagakure_

_Memorial Stone_

"And to this stone I commemorate the name of our comrade that has fallen in battle, for sacrificing his life to save not only Konoha but our own. For if it were not for him..we would not be here today. Please..join me in one final moment of silence for this village's greatest product..the most hyperactive knucklehead ninja..my greatest student..Naruto Uzumaki." Kakashi announced to the hundreds of shinobi gathered before the memorial stone as Kakashi finished carving Naruto's name by kunai.

Tsunade tearfully stepped forward and laid her necklace down next to the stone, a final reminder to the greatest hero of Konoha and the true owner of the necklace of the First Hokage.

000

_Kumogakure_

_Raikage's Home_

_Roof_

"We all know of his sacrifice..and how it would be impossible for a lesser man to do so in such a line of duty. May we remember this..and work to make sure no one must do the same." A spoke to his gathered shinobi, including Killer Bee and Yugito, of the man that was the greatest friend that anyone could know.

000

_Sunagakure_

_Sand Grave Site_

"..For that is our charge..as kage..and as jinchuuriki, to sacrifice ourselves..to protect those we love..and to not be forgotten as easily as the sand dunes disappear. Goodbye Naruto Uzumaki.._my brother._" Gaara whispered to himself as he knelt down in the dunes of Sunagakure and picked up a little bit of sand that was near Naruto's honorary grave within Suna's greatest burial hall, reserved for the greatest heroes of the Suna people.

_'May you find the peace that you found here in life my friend..'_

000

_Uzugakure_

_Mountain of Fire_

_Shodai Memorial_

"And so we leave our great Shodai's burial with a few words from some of Naruto's greatest friends and comrades. Please, come on up." The civilian priest allowed the three waiting shinobi to come up to the forefront of those gathered; as it was being held at the lip of a volcano, only a select audience was allowed, however, the pilgrimage to visit his memorial would be free to anyone.

Chojuro went up first, his embarrassed blush was gone and he walked on stage confidently. It was Naruto's death that woke the boy up, and Mei noticed that it gave him more confidence..yet a much more realistic view on the world around him.

"My name is Chojuro..and I was Naruto's teacher when he came to Kirigakure. I taught him many things..how to hold a blade..to use his chakra right..but the one thing he taught me, that I haven't seemed to learn up until now was..that you can say you will try hard..but that doesn't mean anything. True strength comes from the determination of accomplishing something, not just whispering words of encouragement to yourself..and I would like to thank Naruto for telling me that..because I think that he has made me stronger because of that..stronger than I could ever have made him." Applause was rampant as Chojuro bowed and stepped down from his place, allowing Ao to take his spot.

"When I first met Naruto..I won't lie..I thought he was a pain in the ass." A collective chuckle came from the crowd as Ao smiled at his memories of the boy. "But..I soon realized that there was something else to him..through all that hero and youth crap..I knew he was destined to do something great one day. I had hoped that it wouldn't come so soon..and that the loss wouldn't be so.." Ao's head dipped down and he almost couldn't say the word. "_extreme_..but I would still like to thank Naruto for his sacrifice..and for the attitude and life he has bestowed upon all of us. Thank you, Naruto." Applause was quick and quieted as Mei, the deceased's wife, took the stand; it surprised everyone when a smile came to her lips as she began to speak, contrary to the attitude everyone thought she would be in.

"Naruto..was at first an enigma to me, he seemed so set on bringing back the Uzumaki when he came to Kiri, and yet it seemed as if he wouldn't have near the power to do so. I humored him at first, training him in all I knew and hoping that I was wrong..and it turned out I was. Naruto surpassed all my expectations..and all my walls and barriers until he held the key to my heart." She held her hand close to her chest to accentuate her point. "It was then that I realized, Naruto's true power came from those that believed in him, loved him, cherished him. He told me once something his sensei had told him _'Wherever someone thinks of you, that is where home is.' _and I now realize we are not the only ones mourning his death, its because Naruto had a home in every country, every person, and every heart. And I still will love and cherish him, even after his sacrifice, because if I may still give him strength where he is..then maybe I can see him again someday. Thank you you all for coming here..I know Naruto appreciates it."

"I do appreciate it."

Mei began to step down from her place when a voice she thought not she would never hear began to speak, her head swiveled to an opening in the crowd where they were gasping in awe. There he was, Naruto Uzumaki, bloodied and cut up, but standing tall and alive. He was holding his stomach in obvious pain, but no one could tell with the big smile on his face.

Mei brought a hand to her mouth as tears began to fall from her eyes, not believing what she was seeing. Naruto chuckled a bit and limped forward, now standing right before his wife's slender figure. He brought a hand to her cheek and thought she felt a bit cold and looked very pale. A concerned frown came to him as he realized his absence had done this to her, and he looked down in shame.

"I'm sorry Mei..it took more chakra than I thought to get back..it took me all this time just to get here. Its my fault I made you worry..I'm so-"

A sudden kiss quieted him down completely, Mei had heard plenty enough from him; as soon as he uttered the first word she hadn't cared whether he was an apparition or alive, her love had reached him after all..it had given him the strength to come back.

"Naruto.." Mei held him close, allowing herself to sink into his chest and spill her tears of happiness once again; Naruto sucked up the pain to smile and bring his arms around his wife.

Everyone else finally awoke from their stupor and crowded around him, clapping him on the back, hugging him, kissing him, even ruffling his hair. Ao and Chojuro were shouting and smiling as loud as the others, their Uzukage was home. Naruto didn't know who to keep his eyes on and just looked up into the sky, feeling the sunlight arrive and shine on his face, allowing his bright smile to reach the heavens.

_'Home..this is where I belong..'_

000

Did you guys use a tissue? I know you probably didn't, but I'm sure you felt sad, happy, and warm inside all at the same time as the chapter went on, it was also much longer than what I thought it would be. Please enjoy the final chapter and await my epilogue that will either be released tonight or tomorrow, I changed my mind, this chapter will make you feel all that stuff and the last chapter is just going to be happy! I want to thank you all now, but I know I'll end up doing it next chapter anyway so I'll just say what I always say!

Review!

Peace out!


	34. Epilogue: The Moments a Family Share

Uzumaki Clan's Rebirth

Epilogue

The Moments a Family Share

**Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO! If I did, Naruto would live in Kirigakure and love on the Mizukage.**

NaruxMei

Alright so, welcome once again to Uzumaki Clan's Rebirth. Yes, I know, I could have just ended the story with the last chapter but I felt that we could use some insight on the Uzumaki and what happened a few years on down the road. This epilogue will be the final chapter and I know its asking too much, unsurprisingly, but I want everyone, even those who haven't reviewed for a single chapter, to review this one with some simple words of thanks or whatever you want to write. Also, I'd like to thank those who gave this story a great rating, gave _me_ a great rating, and have favorited this story, I appreciate your kind words.

Thank you for those who reviewed the last chapter and enjoy the epilogue!

000

_Uzu Island_

_4 Years after Kiri's Destruction_

_Uzumaki Estate_

Naruto stood on his balcony, overlooking the entire Uzumaki estate within the great village of Uzugakure. It had been four long years since the destruction of Kirigakure and the defeat of Madara Uchiha, ushering the world into peace. He knew it would be a difficult road to maintain that peace for his children and theirs, but with an Uzumaki determination, he wasn't about to give up so easily.

Today was a special day, to mark the eve of that final battle, all of the great nations gathered together and celebrated the victory. Yes, that was right, Uzugakure was finally accepted as the Sixth Elemental Nation, and Naruto finally was acknowledged as a true kage. It made the young man happy, but it also reminded him of the responsibility on his shoulders.

Naruto was soon to be turning 22, a feat that many thought he wouldn't live to see in his dangerous life. His loving wife, Mei, just had her 34th birthday a few months ago, and it was a great time for everyone. Hearing a call from downstairs, Naruto went over to his door and called back.

"What was that Mei?" He pressed his ear to the door, trying to listen in and not zone out.

"Come on down, the party is going to start soon! I've already got Roshi and the kids ready to go!" Mei's exasperated sigh came from downstairs as she pushed herself to get everyone ready.

"Yeah daddy, let's go!" Naruto smiled as Roshi called out to him, his little boy had already reached the tender age of 4 and was speaking very well.

_'I wonder how long before Yoshe and Yasuo will be as energetic as him.'_ Yes, Naruto and Mei had two more children, twins around eight months after the battle.

It turned out Naruto's final 'farewell' with Mei was more _fruitful_ than anyone could have thought, and he soon felt the joys of being the father of multiple children. Yes it was hard, but with a loving wife and a great place to call home, there was little for him to complain over. With a deep breathe, Naruto left his room and headed downstairs to join his family.

_'Since we are heading to the beach, I hope everyone brought their trunks.'_

The first one he saw was Roshi, the little one now came up to his thighs and was wearing a small white t-shirt with orange trunks and blue sandals. It matched his father, except Naruto was wearing a black shirt with black sandals and red trunks. He smiled as his son came charging towards him and knew he had to defend himself; Roshi's attack was too quick though and he went down for the count on the wooden floor.

His son kept beating his stomach lightly with his fists, both laughing hard enough to shake the house. Having had enough of it, Naruto launched his counterattack and tickled Roshi's sides, plenty enough for him to be the one on the floor this time.

"Did you _really_ think you could beat me, huh?" Naruto joked with his son who couldn't stop to retort, he just kept laughing.

Clacks on a tile flooring meant that Mei was coming out and Naruto looked up to see his beautiful wife come out of the kitchen. She was smiling at them as Naruto wrestled his son off of the ground and held him up like he was a trophy.

"Sorry about that honey, just had to catch me this little monster." Roshi giggled and tried to break Naruto's hold but the blonde dad wouldn't budge; Mei giggled and walked forward, laying a kiss on both of their cheeks.

"You're _both_ monsters if you ask me, but I love you more than anything. Now come on, I've got the twins all ready to go, from what I hear the others have already started." Naruto nodded and watched as his wife walked into the other room in a blue robe, underneath was no doubt her new bikini, a black and red combo piece.

"Well you heard her Roshi, let's get going." Naruto sat his son down and watched him run to the door, jumping up and down impatiently for his father to open it.

"Come on daddy! Let's leave mommy in the dust!" Naruto chuckled and walked forward, peeking into the kitchen's opening to see Mei walking with the twins holding either of her hands for themselves.

Little Yoshe was sporting a cute one piece swimsuit for herself, pink sakura blossoms decorated its red color. Her blonde hair was let down freely, reaching a little past her shoulder blades; her big green eyes locked onto her father and she quickly rushed forward and tackled him, making Naruto huff in playful exasperation.

"Geez Yoshe..you are getting too strong for me to handle! If you keep that up, I'll be done for." Naruto warned her as he took her hand in his own and watched as Mei neared the door with Yasuo, Yoshe's twin.

He almost looked like a perfect clone of Naruto, just as Roshi did for Mei; the only difference was his little green eyes that seemed to sparkle everywhere he looked. Yoshe was surprisingly the more energetic of the two, always running around; it seemed Yasuo would be Naruto's opposite in his youth, he was very quiet and often thought about things longer than a three year old should have to.

"Daddy, yer the big Uzukage! I can't hurt you silly." Naruto chuckled as his daughter caught his joke and moved to the door to stand with Mei, observing his youngest son.

"Hey there Yasuo, ready to go see grandma Tsunade? She promised to get me a big bowl of Ichiraku ramen, wanna share?" His son's green eyes lit up quicker than anyone expected and a rare smile crossed his lips, bringing one to his parents too.

Naruto locked eyes with Mei and knew everything was perfectly fine, he had his wife and his three bundles of joy, there was nothing else he could want. Mei felt the same, her smile punctuated her point as the two brought their faces closer and kissed again. Yoshe and Yasuo were soon left without a hand to hold as their parents brought their arms around each other and got a little too caught up with one another.

Roshi took their hands and stood by the door, a big smile on his face. Yoshe was pouting about the loss of attention and Yasuo had his big eyes following his father, trying to learn what he was doing. Feeling a tug on his shirt, Roshi looked down at Yasuo to see him point at their parents.

"What are mommy and daddy doing woshi?" The older brother smiled and, feeling a little mischievous, had a big smirk on his face very soon.

"That's what grandpa Jiraiya calls, 'laying the moves on a woman'. Daddy does it all the time to mommy, then they kiss!" He pretended to close in a kiss for Yasuo and the laughing little boy slapped him away; what Roshi didn't notice until it was too late was the killer intent coming from his parent's who had heard every word.

"Oh Roshi-chan.." He heard his mother call out in her 'too sweet tone', forcing him to slowly turn his head towards his parents.

"What did _grandpa_ Jiraiya say again?" His father asked, and Roshi knew that the white haired man was going to be in trouble when they arrived at the beach.

_'Uh oh..I think this what grandpa would call it when I 'blew it'! I gotta go warn him!'_

"Uhm..it wasn't anything mommy, daddy I swear!" Just before Naruto could grab him, the blue eyed boy disappeared and a little log fell on Naruto's foot.

_'Damn, why did I teach him the substitution so soon?'_

"Why that little..mischievous munchkin." Naruto grunted out as he picked the log up and opened the front door, knowing his son was probably already half way to the beach.

"I'll get the twins there, just save Jiraiya for me. I'll teach him to corrupt our little one's values so soon." She held up a fist to show her point and Naruto sweatdropped, his wife would never change.

_'Uzumaki women..they **are** crazy.'_

"Alright, I'm off! I gotta go catch him before he steals all the ramen for himself!" Mei giggled as Naruto disappeared in a yellow flash, leaving her to bring the two blonde twins to the beach herself.

"Let's go mommy! I wanna see aunt Yugito again, she said she would teach me to tie up my hair!" Yoshe was already at the gate to leave the home, making Mei wonder if she would have her father's natural speed.

"Alright honey, let's go. Come on Yasuo..Yasuo?" Mei turned to look inside the house to not find him, only to hear Yoshe giggle at the gate.

"You didn't see him mommy? He already took off after daddy, he didn't want him to get all the ramen to himself!" Mei brought a hand to her forehead and sighed, their family was crazy; a smile came to her though as she saw her giggling daughter and hurried on to get to the beach.

_'This is just the way it should be..a couple of crazies. We are Uzumaki after all!'_

000

I know it was short, but hey, its an epilogue. I really didn't want to focus on anything else but the new family and hope to tie up the few little loose ends there were as far as the progression of events. Enjoy this as a final goodbye to our loving Uzumaki family and know that with Naruto and Mei, there will always be a happy ending. I can now put the lock on this doorway and close it, I can now label it what many authors hope their stories will reach, the final threshold, the 'Completed'.

I dedicate this story to my love for NaruxMei and all of the other supporters out there who have read this from the beginning and left your heartwarming reviews, thank you very much. Keep up the good work, and let's hope that at the end of every story, Naruto has a red head romance!

Signed,

G3rMan

Peace out guys!


	35. Uzumaki Update!  Pictures!

Author's Note

This is a note and service to all the fans of Uzumaki Clan's Rebirth, so I am considering this a legal entry into the story. For all of those who didn't know, I have two links on my profile that link you to two different pictures, one of which I put up very recently. One links to lineart done by Samuraiguy2, its a family portrait of Naruto, Mei, and Roshi. The second one is a colored version of it, one that I colored myself.

Just another thing for NaruxMei fans to drool over or enjoy.

Peace!

P.S.

Leave reviews on this author's note if you wish as far as correlating to the pictures or just whatever, you know I like to read reviews!


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